Quote:
Originally posted by galleryseek
although he was insane, hes considered to be one of the best public speakers, ever.
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No he wasn't, its just that the herd mentality is so easy to invoke when the right conditions obtain. You need a somewhat charistmatic hero figure and a scapegoat. The leader identifies the scapegoat, and all the negative, evil shit in the minds of the persons making up the group gets projected outside the group. Bang.. you have instant an instant cult, because as long as everyone's malice remains projected on people outside the group, there is none avalible to cause internecine strife.. which causes group cohesion. This is the source of the "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" trusim.
A social climate charicterized by fear and insecurity are the right conditions I mentioned. But even if they don't exist by themselves, they are easy to generate in peoples minds.
Human beings will never cease to get themselves manipulated in that way, because its an entirely unconscious reaction.