The Madness of the Herd

“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” – Charles Mackay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, 1841

Well said. The herd reacts, it doesn’t think, learn, assess, decide or advance itself (except in a panic, when it plunges about wildly). It does not perceive the danger of the cliff(s) ahead either.

While I am stunned at the non-reaction of Americans to their escalating plight, I find that this contradiction has been well understood for centuries.

Worth reading – the shocking levels of debts embraced by millions of Americans. Living a Lie – American Life in the Debt Lane

Now read this one (please) – absolute insanity run amok among the privileged. Am I the only one that see a problem with this?