“Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.”—Albert Camus
Humans are rational, yet illogical. They know what the right thing is, but usually choose to follow the wrong choices. This human flaw can be attributed to the fear that exists in them of becoming the next victim of society. Choosing the right thing to do sometimes may force you to go against society and its values. When others do wrong things, people feel the urge to follow the majority to avoid being excluded from the mainstream.
This hysteria is prevalent in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. The play is based on the Salem Witch Trials held in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692; these trials were false accusations of witchcraft placed on a few “witches.” The mass hysteria caused by these accusations helped bring the trials forward, resulting in 19 deaths. In the play, Abigail accuses many townspeople, most of them women, and other townsfolk join her; if they don’t join her, it is an indication that they are witches. Although the people of Salem know what is right, their rationality is clouded by the hysteria that Abigail starts.
The effects of hysteria still exist in modern society. For example, the fear of terrorism has molded people’s view of Muslims in a negative way; many of them are discriminated against around the world for things that they aren’t responsible for. It is the loss of rationality which is caused by hysteria that Muslims are all possible terrorists. Many races and cultures have been discriminated against in the past due to mass hysteria and fear in society.
It is very difficult to leave the beliefs of society to do what is right because of the fear of being an outlier in society or becoming the next to be accused/persecuted. People have an innate ability to be rational, but the effects of mass hysteria clouds it, resulting in serious consequences.
First, I have to say that as I read your post, a comparison of humans and lemurs came to mind.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right about human nature; when society deems something unworthy or unacceptable, very few people go against it. And the few that do tend to be horribly punished.
Yet it's important to note that some of the greatest advancements of history, whether they be of a social, scientific, or technological nature, were born of a rebellious attitude. If prevailing social ideas truly determined the attitude of everyone, then we as a species would most likely never have left the caves; the people that suggested man-made dwellings would be ostracized. Yet we don't live in caves, and I think that says something about the potential of the few that do choose do be different from the majority.
I liked your comparison to the way people sam Muslims. Similarly, Jews have been discriminated against for a long period in history. When the Black Death spread, people pointed fingers at the Jewish people, which lead to a massacre against the race. It is so sad how hysteria can easily lead to actions that people would not easily pursue.
ReplyDelete