Jan 13 2009
Do groups have a personality and can it be a disordered one? Discuss.
I think that we are pretty much all aware of the ideas that the intelligence of a group or mob is thought to be that of the lowest IQ of the constituent members divided by the number (possibly even by the number squared) and also that an emotion can be readily applied to a group - “an angry mob”, “mass hysteria“, ” a proud nation” and the like. One thing that puzzles me is whether further personality traits may be accurately ascribed to groups of people and - that having been accepted as possible - therefore could a group’s personality be described as “disordered” in the same way as an individual’s is labelled.
A few more “givens” or axioms are required: that personality disorders are the results of post traumatic stress reinforced over time and experience and that, as a result, normal external societal interaction is impeded if not made impossible for the most part. When similarly traumatised individuals are brought together, by accident, choice or diktatand the traumatic experiences are repeated before their very eyes on an almost continual basis, the only possible result is trouble.
Since mass sedation through religion, sex and TV doesn’t seem to have worked an a national - nor very well on an individual - level, I can only humbly suggest that we do what does seem to work - to talk to one another and see how our individual and group actions affect those who we perceive to be set against us whilst understanding their fears and grievances : national cognitive behavioural therapy is long overdue in some areas of the world.
The therapist is “in” - and waiting …
