How Being A Follower Of A Controlling Group Is Really A Thirst For Power
No matter where we look, it seems people are increasingly joining mass political movements that seek to wield power over others with the goal of creating their utopian vision of society. Controlling groups promise we could eradicate all manner of negative societal outcomes if we’d just adopt their ideology.
But being aligned with or a follower of a group isn’t always borne out of logical and rational consideration of that group’s policy proposals and aims. Often, people join a controlling group simply in order to feel powerful. They have visions of stomping the heads of the losing group, or at least shouting in triumph, "My group rules!" We can only understand this tendency — and avoid it in ourselves — if we look closely at group psychology.