What are the effects of diversity of human thought and the lack thereof? There seems often times to be a monopoly of human belief, which restricts individuals from being independent in their own minds. This is a sad situation and a dangerous one. This occurs because of the lack of religious and political diversity and the lack of diversity in any realm of belief and opinion. When everyone believes the same thing within a community, social pressures evolve that pressure individuals to conform to the herd mentality.
One who is born within a predominantly Christian community, for example, would have social pressures to conform to the herd mentality. For an individual to step outside the box and to be a Muslim or Jew or atheist is dangerous. this individual may be ostracized by society. One who is born within a predominantly Muslim community will, likewise, have social pressures to also be a Muslim and for an individual to be of any other faith would be to commit social suicide. The same might occur if everyone were Republican and someone chose to be a Democrat. The pressure to conform ones own beliefs to the herd and to follow the herd, wherever it may lead, may seem at times to be unbearable.
Another danger is that one looks around oneself and, seeing that all others around him or her believes the same thing, it must be "true." This is a fallacy. If one is born in a Christian community and churches are everywhere and family and friends all believe in the Bible and Jesus, then it "must" be true because everyone believes it. This is a false assumption and a closed minded one. This individual has obviously never been to a predominantly Muslim country or a country where Buddhism predominates. If you were to go to a Buddhist country the same exact thing would occur. Everyone is a Buddhist. Everyone is a Muslim. Therefore, the individual thinks, it must be true. This is another danger of intellectual monopoly. This also often comforts devotees who feel quite happy in their little box of society and feel the truth must be with him or her. Churches also bring the same comfort. We are all in the same box and believe the same thing. That way they can "sike" each other up and get pumped up into believing something. The same applies to religion, politics, philosophy, or any other realm of human beliefs. These are the results of intellectual monopoly.
However, where diversity of thought and opinion exists, there exists freedom. This is freedom to be an independent thinker and freedom from the herd intellect. One is free when different people disagree on a matter, to pick and think and choose what they think on a matter independently and without social pressures. For one to truly be an independent thinker requires learning and study. One cannot have an accurate opinion on a matter that one is inherently ignorant of. Thus, the best advise that can be given is to read and study everything. Listen to what different people have to say on a matter. Question everything. Always remember that, when ideas are changing, the truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.
Wherever there is religious and political diversity and diversity of human thought, then people are free to think for themselves without social pressures to conform to the herd. When there is a monopoly, however, there exist various social pressures that makes many people conform to whatever everyone else believes and often to think that they are right because of the small box of society that they live in. One who lives in such societies and under such social constraints should knock off their shackles that imprison the consciousness and stunt the growth of human thought and rise, like a phoenix from the ashes, reborn and free to choose. Herd mentality is imprisonment. In our modern age where people are more literate, more educated than ever, information is abundant and everyone can read and write, individuals can and should think for themselves. This is happening more and more in society. The result of this exchange of knowledge? None other than diversity itself.
Taliesin McKnight is a writer, lecturer, and researcher on the subjects of world religions, philosophy, spiritualities from diverse cultures and time periods, and of the paranormal. His life-long obsession with knowing the history of Christianity and other religions and how various religions compare with one another has lead him to share his knowledge and research. He currently resides in Dallas, Texas.
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