Follow the Lemmings

(written on January 18, 2020)

A lemming is a person who joins a mass movement unthinkingly, typically a movement which can lead to destruction. Following the lemming is a saying that described those who just follow what the general people think without even putting much thought into their actions. It originated from the idea of rodents who follow each other (supposedly to dangerous situations like death) and is now used to describe people who follow a mass movement without taking care to understand whether that is correct. An example of how this phrase could be used is explained next. Let's say a person follows what most of the general population does, for example eating meat. Without putting careful thought into their actions, the person will decide that since almost everyone else is eating meat, it must be right and hence they should eat meat too. However, the plain truth is that eating meat is a very sinful thing to do. The action of killing a cow can cause one to be reborn in this material world as many times as there are hairs on the body of the cow. This person can be described as one who is following the lemming because they are not putting thought into their actions and are plunging headfirst into destructive activities such as eating meat.

Another phrase that is used to describe the same concept is herd mentality. Herd mentality describes a behavior in which people largely follow and adopt similar culture with their peers and those they spend a lot of time with. Herd mentality can often lead to people ignoring their own feelings and, most importantly, ignoring what is factually correct for them. This concept is very visible in school, especially since many people’s beliefs and their culture change due to the association of their peers.