Group Mindsets in America: Repeating the Same Mistakes Uncritically - Essay Example

Group Mindsets in America: Repeating the Same Mistakes Uncritically Lessing suggests that "we (the human race) are now in possession of a great deal of hard information about ourselves, but we do not use it toimprove our institutions and therefore our lives" (Group Minds, p. 1). This thesis is based on both sociological and psychological theories, established empirically, dealing with group mentalities and how choices and decisions are made by groups rather than by individuals. The most fascinating aspect of Lessing's theory is the irony.

More specifically, she notes how people from the Western world, for example, perceive themselves as being highly individualistic. They characterize themselves as being possessed of free will, as being in control of their own mind, of living in free societies which value independence of thought, and as being capable of articulating and acting upon individual beliefs and making independent decisions. Despite this tremendous emphasis placed on independence of thought, Lessing suggests that we act otherwise.

She suggests that we become, in many ways, paralyzed by peer pressures and by group affiliations, so that choices and actions more reflect group mindsets than individual beliefs and values. This essay will argue that Lessing's thesis is persuasive and that perceived group imperatives do, in fact, overwhelm individual dissent and reason. The implications are startling because this type of group mentality results in the repetition of mistakes made in the past. These mistakes, for purposes of this essay, will be classified in terms of repeated wars, repeated infringements of civil liberties, and repeated economic disasters.

The reality of war, backed up by the research studies cited by Lessing, is an illuminating example. The American people are told that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. The evidence is sparse. Many people disbelieve the assertions, and many more people see no compelling rationale for war in any event. This is not unlike the "length of wood" example presented by Lessing. A majority, or a persuasive dominant group, asserts that "black is white" and the minority ultimately concedes. Our experience teaches that war is destructive, that as in Vietnam war is often unwinnable, and that politics distorts facts and objectives.

Nonetheless, political institutions seem unable to resist the force of certain group pressures. Today, as Americans prepare for new elections, Democrats protest and criticize the war in Iraq. Their hypocrisy is mind-numbing; after all, every member of Congress, save one woman whom has since been defeated, supported the war with their votes. They succumbed to the same types of group pressures to which Lessing refers. They cannot distance themselves from their concessions to institutional and group pressures.

They voted for the war.Other examples can be detected in social and economic institutions. Hollywood produces movies and documentaries damning the "Red Scare" of the 1950s while simultaneously supporting the Patriot Act. People are locked up in secret prisons, arrested without probable cause, and denied access to their lawyers. Individually, in classrooms and in cafes, Americans condemn these activities, but these activities remain the collective policies of political institutions, judicial institutions, and social institutions.

The same mistakes are being repeated and there is nothing more than symbolic protests. Economic institutions offer an additional illustration. America experienced the Great Depression, the Savings and Loan Scandals, and the Dot.com crash. The irrational inflation of asset values, whether stocks or real estate, continue to proceed upon the same sort of irrational speculation. Individuals, in hindsight, condemn this reckless economic behavior, the same individuals, it must be noted, who participated in similar types of behavior.

Economic institutions, such as the Federal Reserve Bank, issued cautions and tinkered with interest rates, but were hesitant to break ranks with group sentiments.In the final analysis, Lessing's thesis is not only persuasive, but it is also borne out by the facts in nearly every facet of American life. Individuals who do, in fact, oppose group decisions find themselves being accused or treason or foolishness. The irony, that we perceive ourselves as individuals, is cruel. Works CitedLessing, D.

"Group Minds."