#127: Imitate-the-Majority Heuristic, Turning Pro & Outgroup Homogeneity Effect
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Herd Mentalities
I. Imitate-the-Majority Heuristic
Heuristics are mental shortcuts we take to solve complex problems fast, effortlessly and with surprising accuracy. Imagine you attend your very first Brazilian jiu-jitsu class. You have no clue what’s going on or what you’re supposed to do. There’s no need to do extensive research or have everything explained to you in minute detail.
Instead, you instinctively follow the Imitate-the-Majority Heuristic, meaning you observe and copy what everyone else is doing: warm-up exercises, gathering around the professor, wondering why they call him that but still listening to his instructions, finding a partner and doing a drill as best as you can. It’s one of the heuristics I wrote about in my article on 5 Useful Heuristics for Quick Decision-Making in Daily Situations.
II. Turning Pro
What does it take to finally pursue your creative dreams and goals? In his book Turning Pro, Steven Pressfield shows how understanding herd mentality can help you turn yourself from an amateur into a professional.
The amateur dreads becoming who she really is because she fears that this new person will be judged by others as "different." The tribe will declare us "weird" or "queer" or "crazy." The tribe will reject us. Here's the truth: the tribe doesn't give a shit. There is no tribe. That gang or posse that we imagine is sustaining us by the bonds we share is in fact a conglomeration of individuals who are just as fucked up as we are and just as terrified.
Each individual is so caught up in his own bullshit that he doesn't have two seconds to worry about yours or mine, or to reject or diminish us because of it. When we truly understand that the tribe doesn't give a damn, we're free. There is no tribe, and there never was. Our lives are entirely up to us.
—Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro
III. Outgroup Homogeneity Effect
The Outgroup Homogeneity Effect is a phenomenon wherein we perceive in-group members as more diverse than out-group members.
From an American perspective, Germans seem pretty much alike; all wearing the same brand of Lederhosen and speaking the same harsh-sounding language. Americans, on the other hand, are well aware of their differences from each other. A Californian wouldn’t want to be confused with a Texan and vice versa.
Needless to say, out-group members may not appreciate the huge cultural and linguistic variety within Germany. Lederhosen and Bavarian culture are as alien to a native from Berlin as they are to an American. Across Germany, there are numerous dialects that all sound very different. Of course, Germany is far from homogenous. Except for Munich, where everyone is insanely posh and successful. 🐘
Have a great week,
Chris
themindcollection.com