Humans Cannot Resist 'Everyone Is Doing It'

Chapter 1 | Who Decided What Is 'Normal' for You?

'Usually, you do it this way.'

This phrase is powerful.

Too powerful.

This is because there is no clear definition of 'normal'.

Yet, humans are surprisingly weak against this vague term.

For example.

You go to college because everyone else does. You get married because everyone else does. You buy a house because everyone else does. You start using social media because everyone else is doing it.

Even if there is no clear reason for it,

'Everyone is doing it'

is reason enough.

In psychology, this is called Social Proof.

Humans rely on others, especially when they cannot make decisions for themselves.

Moreover, that judgment is quite sloppy.

'Many = Correct'

That is how the brain processes it.

In reality, the number of people and correctness are separate issues.

But the brain skips that part.

Why?

Because it is faster that way.

The human brain prioritizes efficiency.

It is faster to look at those around you than to think from scratch.

That is why we line up at restaurants that already have a queue.

We choose products with many reviews.

We trust people with many followers.

All of these are based on the fact that 'everyone else is choosing it'.

But what is important here is,

that we often do not know the reason why everyone else is choosing it.

There are just many people.

It is just popular.

It is just trending.

That is all.

Even so, the brain feels at ease.

'I cannot be the only one who is wrong.'

That is why we can think that way.

But I want you to think about it.

What if the very first person was wrong?

The 100 people following behind them might also be standing on a mistake.

Even so, people do not stop.

Because the sense of security found within a group is stronger than the truth.

The things you consider "normal."

Is that really the result of your own thinking?

Or,

are you just going along with "everyone else"?

Chapter 2 | Seeing a line makes us think it has value

There is a line at a ramen shop.

Then people think like this:

"This place must be delicious."

But if you think about it calmly, you don't know that yet.

It's just that people are standing in line.

You don't know what it tastes like.

Even so, the brain perceives value.

This is the power of social proof.

Humans use the "actions of others" directly as a sign of what is correct.

This is quite powerful.

For example, e-commerce sites.

We feel reassured when we see products with many reviews.

4.8 stars.

3,000 reviews.

That alone becomes a reason to buy.

Even without looking at the details,

'If it's selling this well, it must be fine.'

That is how we judge.

Social media is the same.

100,000 followers.

1 million views.

50,000 likes.

The moment the brain sees these numbers, it perceives value.

Even before looking at the content.

This is scary.

Before the content itself, 'popularity' creates trust.

In fact, marketing uses this mechanism thoroughly.

'Over 100,000 units sold cumulatively'

'98% user satisfaction'

'10,000 users per month'

These kinds of numbers are stronger than product descriptions.

This is because humans crave evidence.

And it is even stronger when that evidence is 'other people'.

It is faster to look at the actions of others than to think for yourself.

It is easy.

It is reassuring.

But there is a pitfall here.

Popularity does not always mean quality.

Viral information.

Spread misinformation.

Investment scams.

They all use this.

"Everyone is doing it."

With just these words, people open their wallets.

They take action.

They believe.

And later, they say this:

"Because everyone else was doing it too."

But that "everyone" might also have been

acting based on watching another "everyone."

In other words, from the very beginning, no one might be thinking at all.

Even so, the flow does not stop.

Because humans are creatures who find value in the queue itself.

Chapter 3 | Reading the Room Was an Instinct for Survival

Why are humans so weak when it comes to 'everyone'?

The reason is simple.

In the past, it was directly linked to survival.

For a long time, humanity has lived in groups.

Living alone was difficult.

Hunting, defense, and child-rearing were all done in groups.

In other words, being cast out of the group was close to death.

That is why the brain learned.

'Stay the same as everyone else.'

That this is safe.

That instinct remains even today.

For example, in meetings.

When everyone else is in agreement, it takes courage to be the only one to disagree.

It is the same at school.

When the whole class is laughing, it stands out if you are the only one not laughing.

It is the same on social media.

Comments that go against the majority are easily attacked.

At times like these, the human brain feels intense stress.

In psychology, this is called 'peer pressure'.

When we talk about pressure, it doesn't mean someone is physically pushing you.

The atmosphere itself becomes the pressure.

This is what makes it troublesome.

Japan is particularly strong in this force.

'Reading the air'

This is because of this culture.

But I want you to think about it.

The atmosphere is something someone created.

It is not naturally occurring.

There is someone who said it first.

There is someone who laughed first.

There is someone who moved first.

People follow behind them.

Then it becomes the atmosphere.

And in the end,

'Everyone thinks so'

is what it turns into.

But at first, it was just one person.

This is important.

The majority was not the majority from the beginning.

The first step creates the atmosphere.

So, conversely,

by expressing a different opinion, you can also change that atmosphere.

However, that is scary.

Because it goes against instinct.

For humans, 'standing out' is a small warning signal.

That is why we stay silent.

We conform.

We follow.

But as a result,

we sometimes head in the wrong direction as a group.

Looking at history, this has happened many times.

The ability to read the room was necessary for survival.

But now, at times,

it leads to a suspension of critical thinking.

Chapter 4 | 'Everyone is doing it' is not proof of correctness

This is the most important point.

'Everyone is doing it.'

This phrase carries an intense sense of security.

But comfort is not the same as being correct.

It is dangerous to confuse the two.

Someone once said in the past,

"Everyone is smoking."

So it was thought to be safe.

But later, it was discovered that this was a mistake.

Investing is the same.

During the bubble era,

"Everyone is buying."

So it was assumed that prices would go up.

But it collapsed.

It is the same on social media.

Information that is being shared,

opinions that are going viral,

stories that many people believe,

are not necessarily the truth.

In fact, humans,

the more people there are, the less they question things.

This is what is scary.

When you are in a group, responsibility becomes diluted.

I'm not the only one.

This feeling dulls our judgment.

And later, we say this:

Everyone else was doing it.

But those words are also proof

that you didn't think for yourself.

This is the reason to study behavioral economics and psychology.

Humans get swept along.

This isn't a bad thing.

It's natural.

The problem is

not realizing that you are being swept along.

If there is something right now

that you consider "normal," I want you to stop and think for a moment.

Is that truly an answer you arrived at yourself?

Or is it

just something you chose because "everyone else" is doing it?

Humans cannot resist the urge to follow the crowd.

However,

from the moment you realize that,

For the first time, 'one's own will' begins.