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Doris Lessing Group Minds

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In the natural world, there exists several different species of animals that live in societies led by a leader where all members thrive for the survival of the pack. Humans, in this context, are no different, but unlike these animals, we have a higher level of thought and self-awareness leading us to create societal rules for our communities which members must follow if the community is to prosper, leading to the formation of the hive mind, where all members, whether aware of the fact or not, fall into the group thought regardless of reality. In Doris Lessing’s article “Group Minds”, the author realistically discusses how even in western cultures where freedom of choice and democracy is implemented, group thinking manages to overpower …show more content…

She then goes on to show that we, as per our nature, are social creatures that cannot bear being outside of our group. Moreover explains, how we actually seek out groups of like-minded people for conformity. Then, she transitions to talk about how all people agree that it is extremely difficult to stand against one’s group. The rest of the article, she spends discussing how group minds work in large groups which may not even think of themselves as groups and how all differences in thought within the same community are actually so minute that to an outside observer, there is no difference in the group’s thoughts. Lessing begins her essay with somewhat of a huge generalization of the people in the west, which kind of gives a shocking start for her readers that might decrease interest, since she states that this is the way they live which is very general, and the fact that there were no evidence made it seem as a weak starting point. Furthermore, she only includes facts in the beginning and does not make any claims supporting her argument as to gradually show the reader

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