How did we get here?

We are at a precipice as a Nation. Is that overly optimistic? Have we already fallen over the edge into disgrace? How did we get here?

Remember when you were a student? Your teacher explains some elaborate concept or idea, and asks "are there any questions?" The response is deafening silence, even though at least one student doesn't understand. But rather than expose him or herself, that student remains silent in order to blend into the group.

According to ChangingMinds.org, the largest site in the world on all aspects of how we change what others think, believe, feel and do:

"Groups all have norms of attitude and behavior which are shared and which help form the identity of the group. Adopting these norms, even if you do not agree with them, is a part of the individual sacrifice that people accept as a price of group membership. It is thus possible for groups to have norms which hardly anyone agrees with, but with which everyone conforms. These situations typically occur when the norms are older than all members of the group or when one member or a small group is dominant and can force their attitudes on the rest of the group."

Innocuous examples include office chatter - all your colleagues are chatting about American Idol, and you join in even though you think it's banal, stupid, and an assault on real music. They include Homeowner Associations (Condos) - which usually have a high level of consensus unless there is an overzealous board or a particularly contentious homeowner in the group.

This phenomena is called "pluralistic ignorance" (PI) by social psychologists. In this state of mind, people mistakenly believe their own thoughts and feelings are different from everyone around them. They look to others for cues instead of trusting their own instincts. PI is particularly disturbing when the situation involves imminent danger. When the danger appears to be ambiguous (think about the Bush rhetoric of terrorism), the social rules of belonging and acceptance trump looking different or alarmist. This also creates the "bystander" effect: people are more likely intervene in an emergency if there is nobody else watching. In a crowd, people monitor the reactions of everyone around them. If no one steps forward, the PI factor creates non-action, because the shared belief becomes that it is not necessary. Think of "gaper's blocks" on the freeway when there's been an accident on the other side.

And so here we are. I go back to September 11, 2001. I remember clearly how I sat in an AA meeting, sobbing. A friend of mine had been on American Airlines flight 11, the first plane hit the World Trade Center. A friend of mine said to me at that meeting "We have the right man for the job, don't you think?" She was referring to Bush. Horrified, I said to her "Absolutely not." And I watched as this entire circle followed her lead. Except for me. And it silenced me for a long, long time. I was new in Los Angeles, and I needed to be part of a group - but it swallowed my voice. PI swallowed my voice.

Not any more. I've been very vocal for the last couple of years, and find that I am effectively changing minds and creating action within my own circle. But this phenomena is bigger than me. It has silenced our media. It has silenced our elected Representatives, and Senators. It has silenced our students. Our nation has become riddled with fear, and fear keeps us silent as Bush grabs more and more power. Have we gone over that edge? Is there no emergency brake on this collective thinking?

My friend, the one who thought Bush was the right man, has long since changed her mind and asked me to help her become a Democrat. But I'm not sure I'm even a Democrat any longer - they've become so weak, they no longer really stand for what I believe. The issues are so huge, and who has the voice? AND the ability to change?

We did not get here overnight. If we did, McDonalds would not have sold billions and billions of burgers; we would not all have Pottery Barn furnishings in most of our homes; we would not all be seeking out the next franchise; we would not give a shit who danced with which D-list star. Who cares if Brangelina split or adopt or eat mudpies? Who really cares if TomKat divorces, or get pregnant?

Apparently, the majority of US Citizens, because despite only having a 28% approval rating, Bush has managed to railroad through some very dangerous directives. And it slipped through, with little attention to it.

So. Solutions? There is nothing better than the truth.

'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.’

— Mahatma Gandhi