Preaching The Choir; Sheep Mentality

Okay, I'm very shocked. After the three months I've been gone to YWS, it seems that almost everyone I PM here doesn't know about Sheep Mentality. Of course, It might be just my school that knows about it (I'm the one who sorta started talking about it...) but wow!

Now, I'm going to preach the choir about Sheep Mentality and sometimes know as Sheeple.

People think like sheep. There I said it, people think like sheep. Sheep Mentality is just people unable to think for themselves. Followers. Lemmings. Those with no cognitive ablilities of their own. Sort of like when Abecrombie and Fitch first started, Everyone started to wear there clothes and brands and acted like sheep, following fads. No indivituality, just like follow the leader.

One of the more descriptive explanations is

A individual that forfits their right to choose in favor of inclusion in groupthink and what is viewed as popular or elete group. Allowing the influences of different forms of media and group members to hold great sway in the formation of attitudes, behavoir and opinion.
To accept the group mentaility and opinion as fact without examination.
Not only to be told what to do, but accepting the paradigm of thought as absolute thereby removing the weight of personal responsibility in the making of decisions.

Tada~

Most of the people in the world have Sheep Mentality which is why, I , NepoGirl, A.K.A. Waffle (just don't ask), am trying to raise awafness by supporting indivituality and originality. I'm trying to break teh status quo and Sheep Mentality.

Anyone else got mroe detalied explanations? I'd love to hear them!

Lotsa , Nepo!

This social construct is a result in many different cultures due to the social interactions and statuses that are a necessity for those systems to endure, and is very, very complex. Do you want people to not obey laws and say, drive faster than the speed limit all the time? We are being sheeple then, by definition. Should we not vote? Supposedly our votes mean nothing in all countries and our leaders are merely decided upon by shadow governments. Or should we overthrow the governments that force us to live by their standards when they will take everything away from us and put us in jail if we don't pay taxes? Maybe we should go out and slaughter gangs through citizen committees that aren't monitored. Who needs police?

As for political sheeple, very difficult to change that, if not impossible in the current systems in place. Before I continue, read up on the 1960's and the events that lead to it. Be specific when describing a topic like this, because if not we're all hypocrites doomed to be sheeple.

(Also, what's original? Who is individual and by what definition?)

I get what ya mean, I was thinking about "sheeple" lately too (haha, my new favorite word...) This is my first year of public school and I was shocked when I realized how it seems like everybody's just copying everybody else. Which makes you wonder...who was the person who everyone started following in the first place? I guess it's not fair to say everybody's a sheeple - I try really hard to stay honest to who I am, and my friends are that way too - but the need to go with the flow is practically a disease that's spread around, especially in teens. It's a little scary to think about, in a way, I mean, what if everybody's completely and 100% like everybody else in the future...? Scary thought...we'd be nothing more than robots with a pulse.

Yes, it is sorta hard not to be Sheeple. I mean, you can't exactly be your own person unless your really eccentric and even then you still could be a sheep. Also, everyone could be a sheep and a sheperd. Maybe once person started a fad for wearing tube socks while the person also started made a facebook abount because everyone else did. It's hard to define Sheep Mentality and Sheeples, isn't it?

Lotsa , Nepo!

My friend calls my other friends and I sheep because we're Christians. Meh. Look, point is if someone's able to come up with an idea that people like, in the wise words of someone from The Replacements (Disney Show), it's the right of an individual to copy others (Legally, anyway). Darnit, I'm not going to stop writing poems because everyone else does, for example. But I guess that's something different because it's more just being similar than copying someone.

Nonetheless, cool topic.

Linguistically examine "sheeple" and "Sheep Mentality" before you seek to show examples of it. If you want to understand Western Culture today, look at how words are used NOW. Then look at why new words appeared and replaced other ones, in relation to this concept, OR, see why new words were made that had no preexisting concept like it. It's very important you do this first to make sure you understand the ideas you speak about entirely before deciding on what they mean; if the foundation is false or weak, the mansion frame is even weaker, much less the sidings, roof, furniture, etc. Once you've done that, then you can examine why this phenomenon has existed throughout history, why it's essential and yet also needs to be regulated and examined at ALL times.

My friend calls my other friends and I sheep because we're Christians. Meh. Look, point is if someone's able to come up with an idea that people like, in the wise words of someone from The Replacements (Disney Show), it's the right of an individual to copy others (Legally, anyway). Darnit, I'm not going to stop writing poems because everyone else does, for example. But I guess that's something different because it's more just being similar than copying someone.

Nonetheless, cool topic.

Let me guess, friends are Atheist? Or one of the many parts of it. I'm an Atheist/Nontheist myself (can't stand vocal arrogant ones, you can see why Atheists are compared to cats), but to say a Christian is a sheep just because they're Christian is silly. What about the Enlightenment? Newton? Einstein? Aristotle? Lao-Tzu? Joan of Arc? Aphra Behn? You can see where I'm going. Yes, many were "deist" or animist, but were they mindless sheep constrained by ideology? C'est la vie.

Good topic, I agree. Let's get more opinions in here.

I'll keep to the topic and keep it as if religion isn't true...

Actually MeanMustard, it's just one guy. He's in a school of Christians (Few dotted Muslims but basically nothing else). South Africa is definetely a predominantly religous (especially Christian) country for reasons you can imagine (who could you turn to back in Apartheid, but God).

He's not that loud or arrogant. In fact he's kind of like you. And me. And a lot of YWSers. He hates ignorance. A man once said 'God has no grandchildren'. While I am not to judge, the way people sometimes act is as if they WERE God's grandchildren. They have no 'faith'. They can't answer questions about their own God. It's more a matter of growing into the faith, I guess.

For example, I was reading a book '100 Questions About God'. The book was made way back when PowerPoint 2003 was magic Therefore the best formatting on the page was a black background, fantastical font (yellow and cursive). Really there was little way to distinguish it from other religious works whether Atheist or Christian. Also, it was designed to be objective, not subjective. So they couldn't make it clouds and glory light.

Now, a classmate of mine saw this book and was surprised that I was reading such a book. He assumed it was bad. 'course I can't take him as the average of everyone, but still. That, in my opinion, is the general mentality. 'I'm saved, Amen. Don't talk to me until we're in Heaven, Lord.'

With that established, you have to know that his family is very different to the rest of ours. They're very free and I guess in that, loving, of each other. Everyone's a Christian. Everyone reads the Bible and prays. Except the dad. He's Christian, but he doesn't like the... um... sheeple of it all. He's very 'scientific' to use the word so generally (I hate doing that because science is a mindset, not an idealset). Now he managed to get his son to the dark side (Seriously, that's how he puts it Yeah, one of the reasons he's my friend). Probably gonna his second one too.

He and I often discuss the science behind God. We argue and whatever. He calls us all sheep. So, I told him about Nero and early Christianity. He told me about the Crusades etc. Recently he said I'm not actually like a sheep, he's just joking. But just me. Because I use logic in my God. And I go about it like he believes I should. In other words I act as he thinks Christians should. I'm not a sheep. And I'm not God's grandchild, I'm He's child.

He and I are a lot alike, actually. I cringe when I hear of sheeple Christianity (which I was a part of, sadly. Yeah, TBN and their false prophets). Extremism is good and bad. Sometimes you should use symbolism like Hellfire and Holy water and sometimes calling every preacher a false prophet seems ignorant (though those that do actually have Scriptural references, so yeah).

We're both take quantum uncertainty (Every atom is every other, nothing is certain except uncertainty) a little to personally I just have it while I'm Christian, him not. We're both scared to be grouped as ignorant sheeple. I was defiant and began writing poems like 'The Christian Lie' (You can search it) so that I could identify the Christianity I didn't want to be a part of, distance myself from the Christians and not Christ. He decided to abandon Christianity for something that made 'more sense'. We're the same, but completely different.

So yeah, he actually wasn't being cruel, he's just stating a point. In this school everyone loves being mean, but they do it with a grin (Not a sneer like in Disney movies), though I don't like it much.

How does that relate to the topic, well it just shows two different responses to sheep mentality. I'm going to print this page to try and convince him to YWS

P.S
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Could you please elaborate on the cat thing? I'll use it against him when he plays the sheep card

TheNewHero wrote:I'll keep to the topic and keep it as if religion isn't true...

Actually MeanMustard, it's just one guy. He's in a school of Christians (Few dotted Muslims but basically nothing else). South Africa is definetely a predominantly religous (especially Christian) country for reasons you can imagine (who could you turn to back in Apartheid, but God).

He's not that loud or arrogant. In fact he's kind of like you. And me. And a lot of YWSers. He hates ignorance. A man once said 'God has no grandchildren'. While I am not to judge, the way people sometimes act is as if they WERE God's grandchildren. They have no 'faith'. They can't answer questions about their own God. It's more a matter of growing into the faith, I guess.

For example, I was reading a book '100 Questions About God'. The book was made way back when PowerPoint 2003 was magic Therefore the best formatting on the page was a black background, fantastical font (yellow and cursive). Really there was little way to distinguish it from other religious works whether Atheist or Christian. Also, it was designed to be objective, not subjective. So they couldn't make it clouds and glory light.

Now, a classmate of mine saw this book and was surprised that I was reading such a book. He assumed it was bad. 'course I can't take him as the average of everyone, but still. That, in my opinion, is the general mentality. 'I'm saved, Amen. Don't talk to me until we're in Heaven, Lord.'

With that established, you have to know that his family is very different to the rest of ours. They're very free and I guess in that, loving, of each other. Everyone's a Christian. Everyone reads the Bible and prays. Except the dad. He's Christian, but he doesn't like the... um... sheeple of it all. He's very 'scientific' to use the word so generally (I hate doing that because science is a mindset, not an idealset). Now he managed to get his son to the dark side (Seriously, that's how he puts it Yeah, one of the reasons he's my friend). Probably gonna his second one too.

He and I often discuss the science behind God. We argue and whatever. He calls us all sheep. So, I told him about Nero and early Christianity. He told me about the Crusades etc. Recently he said I'm not actually like a sheep, he's just joking. But just me. Because I use logic in my God. And I go about it like he believes I should. In other words I act as he thinks Christians should. I'm not a sheep. And I'm not God's grandchild, I'm He's child.

He and I are a lot alike, actually. I cringe when I hear of sheeple Christianity (which I was a part of, sadly. Yeah, TBN and their false prophets). Extremism is good and bad. Sometimes you should use symbolism like Hellfire and Holy water and sometimes calling every preacher a false prophet seems ignorant (though those that do actually have Scriptural references, so yeah).

We're both take quantum uncertainty (Every atom is every other, nothing is certain except uncertainty) a little to personally I just have it while I'm Christian, him not. We're both scared to be grouped as ignorant sheeple. I was defiant and began writing poems like 'The Christian Lie' (You can search it) so that I could identify the Christianity I didn't want to be a part of, distance myself from the Christians and not Christ. He decided to abandon Christianity for something that made 'more sense'. We're the same, but completely different.

So yeah, he actually wasn't being cruel, he's just stating a point. In this school everyone loves being mean, but they do it with a grin (Not a sneer like in Disney movies), though I don't like it much.

How does that relate to the topic, well it just shows two different responses to sheep mentality. I'm going to print this page to try and convince him to YWS

P.S
------------------
Could you please elaborate on the cat thing? I'll use it against him when he plays the sheep card

this post. I have the utmost respect for what you've shown here. All too often this isn't the case, and it's hard to stick to it, but I agree with you, I do see myself in both of you.

As for Atheists and cats , it all boils down to the wide and various understanding of what Atheism is (or lack there of any standard system). There are nontheists, antitheists, strong atheists, weak atheists, etc; and then there are people that seem like several, but aren't, or they make their own category...so it's always funny when people talk about Atheism as some organized movement or religion. I'm just trying to imagine all of those personalities being gathered into one area, much a single room.

So it's like...Atheists are like cats because no two of us agree on the same idea of what Atheism is. We meow and hiss at each other, sometimes batting claws, but we love our dear whiskers so much. By god though, if you tell us what to think you've got a cat fight on your hands, theist or not. Generally "cat-fight" is a good to describe Atheists bickering amongst each other: pointless, silly, often getting nowhere.