A discussion in my civics class came up about trends following a Channel One news story on "Will organic clothing catch on?" After getting nowhere in the discussion, I finally said, "It depends. How many celebrities will wear it?"
This started the class going.
"If it's too expensive, people won't buy it."
"Do people who mindlessly follow the trends ever take cost into consideration?"
"Not everybody will just go out and buy the latest trend if it costs too much."
"But the people who define it as a trend will."
The shepherds that start the trends ultimately control the market the sheep buy from. The sheep could stay comfortable in its own wool, but all its friends paid to get sheered. After all, what's paying for a little discomfort compared to fitting in with the flock? Who cares if you don't seem like yourself? You're a member of the fanciest flock on the block.
These "sheeple" do anything to fit in. People know that the kid in the corner wearing black and red clothes who constantly complains about his horrible life really lives in a fancy house with loving parents and no real problems. They know he just does it to have equally falsely depressed friends.
These sheeple abandon what they've been wearing to pick up the newest trend that's guaranteed to be the hottest thing for at least three weeks. They don't care if it's too heavy or too light as long as they can be with their equally uncomfortable friends.
These sheeple go out of their way to become less individual and less comfortable to fit in with other sheeple who go out of their way to become less individual and less comfortable. This keeps repeating until everyone in the flock is the same or until the latest trend comes out a few weeks later.
These sheeple may not even change their looks. They may just do the, "Yeah, what they said" thing wherein the shepherd decides to mock another flock and the sheeple in the flock follow. They know it's wrong, but the shepherd said it, so it must be a good idea. They don't care if they're told later that it's wrong; the first thing they heard from a seemingly reliable source must be true.
We sheeple mindlessly listen to and follow the examples of the news pundits or celebrities. The shepherds can be anybody in power or who seem to know what they're talking about. We don't even bother to double-check the facts, and we ignore others who tell us different. We sheeple ignore that mite of doubt.
If we don't create flocks, we won't have sheeple who relinquish their individuality for the trivial purpose of being a member. We sheeple need to do what we want to do and think what we want to think. We sheeple need to think outside the flock.
