Great Books Ep 17: To Be in a Group or Not: The Double-Edged Sword of Peer Pressure

One way to overcome the mindset of self-preservation is to evoke a sense of honor and the fear of judgment from others. But belonging to a group can make people do irrational things.

“My friends,” he cried, “be men, and fear dishonour; quit yourselves in battle so as to win respect from one another. Men who respect each other's good opinion are less likely to be killed than those who do not, but in flight there is neither gain nor glory.”

~ The Iliad - Book XV (Samuel Butler Translation. p109 / v559)

Note - The Iliad, Book XV, post 2

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