Anyone who has ever been part of a clique knows what it feels like to be in a group. There are unspoken rules that must be followed in order to remain in. Cliques in high school are extremely exclusive and that's part of their allure. There will always be people who are left outside a group even though they want to be part of the inner circle. This privilege of being part of the in-crowd that causes people to be aloof and act cruel to the "outsiders." Cheerleaders, jocks, even the nerds— they all do their part to keep their positions in the high school social landscape. In trying to keep up their image and emphasize the unity of a group, members of a clique act in ways they normally would not.
In Grease: As one of the bad boy T-Birds, Danny has to act cool in front of the guys
After seeing the movie Full Metal Jacket by Stanley Kubrick, I was reminded of how group mentality can alter peoples' personalities. Full Metal Jacket is a movie set during the Vietnam War and tells the story of new recruits receiving military training. In the process, the drill instructor singles out the recruits who are weak and prone to mistakes. Leonard Lawrence, whose name is changed to Gomer Pyle, is one such recruit who is slow to respond to the drill instructor Hartman's discipline.
Pyle serves the purpose of a scapegoat. A scapegoat helps unify the people against a common enemy. Pyle earns the hatred of his fellow soldiers when the drill instructor punishes the platoon for every mistake that Pyle makes. In retaliation, the platoon hazes Pyle by beating him with bars of soap in the night. Even Joker, the person who was helping Pyle, joins in during the hazing and lets his anger out on Pyle.
How is it possible that a patient and kind person like Joker would be able to beat up the same person he had just taught to make a bed and lace up boots a day before?
The herd mentality type of mind control is highly underestimated. Being part of a organization makes people act in ways they normally would not. When people are swept into a sort of mob mentality, such as when the soldiers are hazing Pyle, they become part of a unit and that changes their personality. The members of the group feel anonymous and less responsible for their actions. This is known as de-individuation. Therefore, it is quite reasonable to consider mob mentality a form of mind control.
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