Mattias Desmet is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Ghent University in Belgium.
He focuses on mass crowd formation, totalitarianism, mass hypnosis, indoctrination and, basically, how the human mind works.
Why did people become crazy?
I’d like to know how it is that millions of people suddenly believed that permanently wearing a mask and standing far away perfectly healthy people, was a good idea.
It’s as if a switch was flipped.
Neighbours reported one another for walking their dogs. Greetings changed from handshakes to elbow bumps. Fear campaigns dominated the media.
It was bonkers.
Mattias believes that this ‘pandemic’ was less biological and more psychological.
Mass formation, as he calls it, is a phenomenon that occurs when a large group of people develop irrational beliefs or engage in collective behaviour that defies logic or reason.
Akin to a cult.
It’s like a contagious mindset that spreads within a community, leading individuals to adopt the same thoughts, behaviours, or beliefs.
In the case of the Covid™ era, it took control of the minds of people everywhere.
Humans copy one another
One theory is the power of social influence.
Humans are social creatures and we often look to others for guidance, validation, and a sense of belonging. When a large enough number of people around us start believing or doing something, we might feel compelled to follow suit even if it contradicts our own beliefs or logic.
Principles fall away.
This social pressure can be so strong that it overrides our critical thinking and individual judgement.
Hence the “sheeple” label.
And why, for the love of sanity, were hospital staff making choreographed TikTok videos during a ‘deadly pandemic’?
Another theory is that fear and uncertainty play a big role in driving mass formation.
During a crisis (or a ‘crisis’), people become anxious, confused, or powerless and, in search of stability and security, they latch onto simplistic explanations or adopt extreme beliefs that promise certainty and control.
Free-floating anxiety, according to Mattias.
Human psychology is heavily influenced by cognitive biases which are mental shortcuts that shape our perceptions and ability to make decisions.
Sort of like being indoctrinated.
In a group setting, these biases can be amplified, leading to a phenomenon known as groupthink.
Groupthink occurs when a desire for harmony or conformity within the group overrides individual dissenting opinions.
Groupthink affects many aspects of society. Consider, for exmaple, climate change alarmism and the way in which many believe that, unless we don’t stop carbon emissions by next Tuesday, humanity is doomed.
This can suppress critical thinking and lead to the adoption of collective beliefs or behaviours.
Here’s my converstion with Mattias.