"A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save a man from the vexation of thinking." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
No matter how hard you try you are a victim of group think. Your view of the world and your actions are shaped by just a few of these groups:
- Your geographic location (house, street, neighborhood, city, metropolitan area, state, region, country)
- Your education
- Your religion
- Your political party
- Your race
- Your gender
- Your physical appearance
- Your income
- Your employer
- Your job function
- Your hobbies
When you think about yourself in the context of the groups above you start to realize how much you really think like the people around you. It is no secret that marketing companies can predict your behavior based on the groups you belong to.
If you are starting to feel a little bit like a lemming it's okay. Just make sure that the groups you belong to represent the kind of person you want to be. If they don't then you need to have a plan on how to change to the group that reflects who you are as a person. Granted, we cannot change our race or gender, but every other group is fair game.
