This idea was first described by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who staunchly and bravely opposed the German Nazi regime, paying for his heroic acts with his life when he was hanged in a concentration camp, just 2 weeks before its liberation. Bonhoeffer simply called the condition Dummheit ("stupidity"), but here I rename it to distinguish from other forms of stupidity.
The "stupidity" referred to here is a state where reason is voluntarily given up to be replaced by groupthink. (In philosophical terms, specifically, practical reasoning ("what to do?") is discarded, while speculative reasoning ("how to do it or explain it?") is retained - the latter of which is generally activated to imagine justifications for the actions decided by the groupthink).
It is a form of stupidity unrelated to IQ or other types of intrinsic intelligence; many seemingly "intelligent" folks are group idiots - e.g. doctors, engineers, etc. who nevertheless were willing Nazis, cultists, or the like. It is thus important to distinguish group idiocy stupidity from low-IQ stupidity, as they are independent traits that should be observed separately.
Group idiocy can also be called slave mind, as such minds are effectively "switched off" for matters decided by the groupthink. People with higher extroversion and stronger group identity are higher in group susceptibility, a key risk factor for group idiocy. Conversely, those who are low in group susceptibility are more likely to have independent mind, with minds still active, objective, and independent - not (voluntarily) enslaved to some group. This form of intelligence is arguably the most important of all, far more important than IQ, EQ, or the like, in that it has a major role in preventing mass atrocities; the greater the ratio of independent minds in a population, the less chance that idiot mobs will form to wreak atrocities. (The ability to resist this anti-intelligence factor is GQ.)
The difference between slave mind and independent mind is stark and easy to see: an example is the 9-year old who points out contradictions to the adult who identifies with a religious organization - the 9-year old's mind is still undeveloped, yet his mind is already "active," curious to know why and how, while the older adult, despite having a more developed mind, has a voluntary "slave mind," active only to concoct explanations within the bounds that his organized religion has allowed him; he is unwilling to think outside of those bounds.
Some of the symptoms of group idiocy are as follows:
- Hive mind: somehow one's beliefs "coincidentally" very closely match that of their group identity.
- Strong group identity: the "us vs. them" mentality naturally leads to group idiocy; basically, the desire to belong to a group pushes one to discard inconvenient independent thought that would naturally result in differences with the group.
- Catchwords and slogans: group idiots copiously use convenient, prepared words that they parrot from their group. These allow the group idiot to remain in shallow thought, with no chance to diverge from the group by actually thinking deeply and independently.
Group idiocy is particularly dangerous in that it unfortunately cannot be reasoned with.
- Minds Switched Off: one cannot argue against it, as arguments will not be believed or just ignored; generally catchwords and slogans will be copiously thrown in response.
- Emotions Reign: as the reasoning mind is turned off in favor of bias (emotions), emotions reign and thus idiots are easily angered and goaded, especially as the rational mind that would normally seek caution is turned off. (Compare with intoxication.)
- Obliviousness: as an unconscious phenomenon, group idiots are unaware of their state and cannot be convinced of it. Unlike outright evil, people do not get a feel of unease from it; group idiocy is devious and sneaky by nature. Once the group idiocy reaches a peak and the idiot mob appears, mass violence and other outright evil ironically is unseen as the mob is blinded to it.
Introverts are less likely to become victims of group idiocy than extroverts, simply because they are less influenced by groups and thus more often remain masters of their own minds. Those who are more invested in group identity (group susceptibility) will of course be more willing to voluntarily (yet unconsciously) give up their independent thinking to bask in the "safety" of the groupthink instead. Unfortunately, those who cherish membership in the groupthink are exactly the sort of people who choose to become politicians (harnessing groupthink is the core of political skill), thus group idiocy of course becomes the norm in that class of people.
We see group idiocy in many situations:
- Corporate yesmen who find that they "coincidentally" yet wholeheartedly agree with everything the executives decide
- Political mobs whose opinions happen to exactly match with their chosen group identities
- Religious zealots whose beliefs are perfectly aligned with each other but not with their holy canon (which they don't read independently, anyway), yet nobody seems to notice
In the many upheavals, massacres, and so forth of history, we consistently see mobs of people who have surrendered to group stupidity and served as the mindless tools of the powers that both controlled and goaded them. Religion is a common example of a group that easily is used for group stupidity (often leading to mass killings), but is by no means the only type. Sadly, idiot mobs are a natural form of "policing" to ensure that the group idiocy remains in power.
How can we cure society of group idiocy? It is never easy, but some methods to start are as follows:
- Knowledge: if people know what it is, they have a better chance to recognize it, which is the first step to possibly control it.
- Liberation: liberating people from the group power hierarchies that pressure them to voluntarily forego ownership of their own minds will also naturally lead to less group idiocy.
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