Super-Spreaders
“Masses
are always breeding grounds of psychic epidemics.”
Carl
G. Jung
We
humans are subject to psychic contagion in the same way that we are subject to viral
contagion when we pack together in groups. This seems more obvious now, though
I sincerely doubt that modern humans are much different from our forebears. We
are all familiar with “mob (or herd) mentality.” It describes how people can be
influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors or ideas that are based
upon emotions rather than on anything rational or real. When this happens, we
do things we would not do on our own. We have seen mob-mentality demonstrated at
ballgames when a shoving match on the field results in fans charging from the
stands to fight each other. And we’ve seen it in the streets when protests
begin peacefully and then erupt into a carnage of fire and destruction. It works
like the tiny spark that ignites a wildfire.
Today, because of social
media and our 24/7 news cycle, our “mob” can be far larger than in the past. We
can pass on conspiracy theories and misinformation on a scale never seen
before. The size and extent of the berserk behavior is different, but not the
human motivation. We are “super-spreaders” of more than viruses, but there is a
glimmer of hope even in this. If we can influence each other in dangerous ways,
we can also influence one another in positive ways. A favorite memory for me is
once, when I happened to be in a pocket of Birmingham known as “Five Points,” a
flash mob materialized in the middle of the big 5-way intersection and began
singing a hand-clapping gospel song. Pretty soon, everyone on the street was
clapping, and dancing, and singing along.
Psychic epidemics don’t
have to be negative events. We have the power to choose the kind of energy we
radiate to others. There is almost nothing more contagious than a genuine smile
and a kind word to change the trajectory of someone’s day. Let’s go out there
today and be super-spreaders of light.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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❤❤❤
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