In terms of the Herd mentality comes the idea that we should defer all of our decision making to some expert of higher authority. Political correctness is another side of this mentality. We should do that which is seen as the right thing to do. If you are familiar with Milgram’s experiment (also listed in The Livingness Ch 2, Fishbowls Obedience to Self Abuse, be wary of what you are submitting to!)
Many years ago when I was new into psychotherapy a young woman came to me saying ” I have a good husband, 2 kids (she could have said 1.5 if you see where this is going), a nice home & car. I think she also even lived in a suburb like Happy Vista & may have even have had a nice boat! She then said “but why aren’t I happy?” I thought for a while feeling somewhat stumped & then the obvious came to me & I said you have figured out the whole external demographic-prescription & yet this could apply to a zillion other people but youv’e never mentioned an individual thing about yourself. She then said something like ‘but Ive got no Idea who that is’. This is similar to the notion of identity that one can do an identikit of who we are. Doesn’t exist!
