I once asked someone running a very big bank a question. Why do you fear unions and unionism? He said one word - ”unreasonableness”

He explained that people tend to become more unreasonable in groups and are more reasonable as individuals.

I asked if the reverse is also true?

The reverse is actually true. Corporations are also a union. Governments and political parties are unions. They can also typically be unreasonable as well. They don't like organized opposition because it acts as a counterforce in ”unreasonableness”.

The truth is that large groups of people tend to be more irrational than individuals, especially in a crisis situation. This is proven by science.

This is why people instinctively fear mobs. The saying that ”A mob has no brain” is true. https://www.sciencealert.com/large-groups-of-humans-are-hopeless-during-a-crisis-even-when-the-emergency-is-simulated

I was thinking again about why people die in riots and protests? It is not about ”unreasonableness” but a false sense of security that makes you unaware of how unreasonable the other side can become. It was our flaw in assessing the reaction from Nigerian government all the time.

Even reactions to epidemics too. Reading the original article for the study gave me insights into why a lot of people are dying from this pandemic due to misinformation. Social media is a culprit and more dangerous than we think.

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspa.2019.0685#d1e1172

Social Media creates very large social groups that give a false sense of security and reduces our individual sense of danger. It is why people say things here that they wouldn't dare say in real life. The danger is that others tend to believe them and get carried away.

Social Media also has the opposite effect of better coordination in a crisis against unreasonable regimes. It is why turning off the Internet is seen as an option by repressive regimes. The problem (as we saw in Togo) is that this lack of coordination may lead to worse mobs.

I am very wary of group behaviour on either side. Sometimes, it takes individuals with clarity on the issues to reach a negotiated agreement. The activist or the oppressive figure do not have to be those people.