Following the Pack

Why are some people so blind to the crimes committed by their own community?

Once a people is accustomed to masters, it is no longer in a condition to do without them.

-Jean Jacques Rousseau, A Discourse on Inequality

A long-running debate in psychology is whether a person is more strongly influenced by their surroundings or by their nature.

Now, I really can’t comment on this, since I barely know a thing in the field. But, I can say this: a person is shaped by what they grow up around. And in many situations, these conditions make them dependent, whether it be in forming beliefs, following certain moral codes, or in their day-to-day life. This dependence leads to blindness to the actions of those following your beliefs.

A person who was taught to follow a certain religion and was taught not to question it will keep those beliefs. A person who was taught a certain ethic will follow that ethic. That is, unless they challenge it. If you memorized and learnt all your morals from a book, does that necessarily make you a virtuous person? No.

Most people follow the religion that they were born into. “Your parents are jews? You must be one too!” They are surrounded by that religion and its beliefs, no matter how absurd they may be. And that ultimately might lead to that person being an avid follower of that religion.

Let me make this clear:

1. I am not targeting anyone. All the communities, religions, and societies mentioned are purely for the sake of example.

2. I am never against a person following a religion. Your beliefs are your beliefs.

3. It is rather the misinformation and low knowledge of other religions that I am taking a dig at. If a person follows ‘X religion’ or is part of X community. Then there is a good chance that he doesn’t know about ‘Y religion or Y community.’ This doesn’t mean that this applies to everyone.

4. Crimes committed in the name of beliefs are still crimes.

5. There are plenty of people, numerous even, who do not stick to their birth-given beliefs. This doesn’t mean that everyone does this.

Now, why do people tend to stick to the beliefs they are born into?

• Well, firstly, some of them do not think. They do not form their own ideas. Some lack the education required for it (which can be very common in certain communities or for certain people in certain groups, e.g., women in male-dominated backward communities), whereas some just do not bother to. They live in the comfort of their naivety.

• Secondly, some realize that they can benefit from the community if they act a certain way. In an anti-immigrant area, a politician who has the same ideals will prosper.

• Thirdly, most people want to fit into society. Follow the pack. There can be multiple reasons for this. It can be because of basic human social nature. Or it could be for safety, i.e. In a group that supports X ideas, a man starts supporting Y ideas, which might compromise the man’s safety.

Some of these causes are complicated and can be dangerous variables, especially for a singular individual. But what about the others? What about the people who are in a completely safe place to disagree with the common public? Why do those people stick to the community’s beliefs? For acceptance? For popularity? Just for the fact that they are incapable of doing so?

What about the harm that their community might be causing? What about the consequences? What if you were taught violence as a child? Told to follow it because that’s what the community you grew up in accepts.

Taught to sideline, mistreat, or downright assault a certain group or community. Taught that women are lesser than men. Taught that the ‘blacks’ are violent. Taught that immigrants are stealing your jobs. Taught that some religion is lesser than yours. Taught that the LGBTQ+ community isn’t holy. Taught that you can treat these ‘lesser’ groups however you wish to?

But what if you are a woman born into a misogynistic community? What if you aren’t straight in a homophobic community? What must you do then?

Many people will read this and say that I am being dramatic and that these problems aren’t relevant. A good number of misogynistic, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and other intolerant groups will disagree. These people are either relishing in the comfort of their naivety or are just intolerant for whatever reason it may be. But one of the most common factors is a person’s community and that person’s cowardice to step up.

Gay men and lesbian women are burned in certain areas just for their sexuality. Women are mistreated for no reason whatsoever. Certain races face stereotypes. People are deported from their countries just for being of different backgrounds.

If you can still support your ideas and beliefs in the name of your community, religion, group, or society, WHEN THESE BELIEFS ARE HARMING INNOCENT LIVES, then maybe your community might not be teaching you the right things. Maybe you are brainwashed. Maybe you are blind to your own foolishness.