Why Do People Follow the Crowd?

I had my students watch a short clip of the famous elevator experiment. In the video, a group of men step into an elevator and stand facing the wall instead of the door. One man enters afterward and initially faces the door—the correct way—but slowly begins to look uncomfortable.

I paused the video and asked my students, “What do you see?”

Their answers came quickly.

“I see men getting in, and one guy looks awkward.”

“It seems like a social experiment.”

“They’re all facing the wrong way, and the one guy who was facing the door eventually turned around—even though he knew he was facing the correct way.”

They were all right.

The man looked awkward because he felt pressure. It was a social experiment. And although everyone else in the elevator was facing the wrong direction, the only person doing the right thing still gave in—simply to avoid standing alone.

That’s when I asked the question that mattered most:

Why do you think people follow the crowd?

Every hand went up. Students talked about fitting in, wanting to belong, and avoiding judgment. Then one student said what tied it all together:

“To not feel left out.”

I snapped my fingers. Another student added, “Clock that tea.”

I followed up with another question: How do you feel when you’re left out?

“Lonely.”

“Sad.”

One student shared, “When I feel like that, I go socialize with other people.”

I responded, “So you realize you have options.”

She nodded.

That became the lesson: options are our outlets. When we feel pressure, loneliness, or discomfort, we still have choices. Music, writing, talking to someone we trust, or simply stepping away are all healthier options than giving in.

The one option that should never be a choice is surrendering your values just to fit in.

The Science Behind Conformity

This idea is supported by research from Dr. Gregory Berns, a professor of behavioral science and psychiatry at Emory University, whose work was featured on ABC’s Primetime. His studies showed that when people go against the group, the brain experiences stress. Many people don’t conform because they believe the group is right—they conform because they want the discomfort of standing alone to stop.

We don’t follow the crowd because it’s correct.

We follow it because isolation is uncomfortable.

When the Lesson Itself Is Wrong

I shared another example with my students from Wicked: Part One. During a school tour, a character says, “The thing about school is they always teach the wrong lesson.” His song centers around releasing pressure and enjoying life more freely.

At one point, he asks the “good witch” if she has ever fouled someone. She says no. When he asks why, she realizes she doesn’t actually know.

That moment highlights something powerful:

We follow rules and traditions without understanding why they exist.

Tradition vs. Intention

Conformity doesn’t stop at society—it shows up in families too. I explained to my students that even family traditions, though often rooted in love, can still limit growth. We cook certain foods a certain way because we watched our parents do it. But what if those methods aren’t healthy? What if honoring tradition means creating a new one?

One student shared, “My mom has a tradition that we must attend the same school as our older sibling. But my brother and I decided to break that tradition and attend the schools we wanted.”

Perfect example.

Breaking tradition doesn’t mean dishonoring your family. It means choosing intentionally instead of automatically.

The Truth Beneath It All

Beneath it all is this truth:

People aren’t really following people—they’re following numbers, trends, and outcomes, because no one wants to stand alone.

We follow what gets the most likes, the most attention, the most approval. We chase popularity instead of purpose. We trust crowds over conscience.

The world isn’t lacking ideas—it’s lacking courage. Our differences are what make the world colorful, but they’re also what bring real change.

Let your why guide you—not what’s trending, not what fits in, not what earns applause. Leaders are rarely part of the majority. They push against the grain that seeks to dissolve them. And when they break through, their freedom becomes permission for others to do the same.

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