"People have often been willing to give up personal identity and join into a collective. Historically, that propensity has usually been very bad news. Collectives tend to be mean, to designate official enemies, to be violent, and to discourage creative, rigorous thought. Fascists, communists, religious cults, criminal 'families' — there has been no end to the varieties of human collectives, but it seems to me that these examples have quite a lot in common. I wonder if some aspect of human nature evolved in the context of competing packs. We might be genetically wired to be vulnerable to the lure of the mob."
by:
Jaron Lanier
American computer scientist, composer, visual artist, author
Source:
Beware the Online Collective, 12/27/2006
http://www.edge.org/conversation/beware-the-online-collective
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The human creature is in most cases a social animal for sure. The greatest uniting of man is when he/they ensure(s) individual liberty, freedom and rights at natural law.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Some animals flock together, others roam alone -- we find both tendencies in Nature. Same for humans -- some prefer the security of the pack, while others soar alone. Typically, herds attract predators. It's a dog-eat-dog world, and that will never change.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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