People may give up on being right or free and normally make decisions about conformity in the following order.
- People like to be liked.
- People like to be right.
- People like to be free.
- People conform to Majority Opinion.
- People reject Minority Opinion.
“Facts” are often meaningless and ignored or countered with ad hominem attacks and attacks on self-esteem. For example, the thought that the “state” has lost its mind so-to-speak is rejected even though it appears to you personally that this is the case. The obvious example is the German people under the influence of Hitler. This is why abhorrent acts are done “in the name of the people” or majority. Authoritarian values trump democratic values in times of fear.
Therefore, change occurs when enough people say: “This makes no sense!”
Understand how powerful Social Norms can be in influencing people:
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