You’re Not Thinking for Yourself (And Neither Am I)

Why smart people still follow the crowd and what it’s costing them

Among the many exciting things that happen in my street, Tuesday morning is bin collection day.

Every week, the general waste bin goes out and every other week, it’s a double header, with the yellow-lidded recycling bins joining the party curbside. The only real challenge is remembering which week is which. Yes, I admit, it's not exactly a major life problem, but this week it got me thinking about how we make decisions in groups.

I have a simple, generally reliable system. I put the bins out late Monday night and quickly scan the street. If others have their recycling bins out, I follow suit. It’s quick, easy, and usually right, but this week, it wasn’t.

I saw recycling bins out across the street and followed without a second thought. on reflection, it’s amazing how quickly we trust and follow others without checking the facts or thinking independently.

On Tuesday night, I went to collect the bins and found my recycling bin still sitting exactly as I'd left it, full! It wasn’t recycling week it seemed.

What had happened was simple. One person got it wrong and put their recycling bin out. Someone else wasn’t sure and followed. Then another and then another, until most of the street had done the same, including me. Unremarkable I hear you say? No real damage done beyond an extra trip to the curb for my trusty recycling bin, but it highlights something more important.

There’s a term for this behaviour in psychology; the herd effect. It describes how people follow the actions or opinions of others without deliberate thought, often leading to decisions that aren’t fully considered.

In everyday life, it’s mostly harmless but in business, that's not always the case. Decisions start to form around momentum rather than merit. People align before they’ve fully thought things through, and confidence is often mistaken for the right decision. Over time, this creates a subtle but real drift away from independent thinking.

It’s worth asking, how independent are the decisions being made in your team? Are people thinking critically, or are they taking cues from the group and moving with the crowd?

When was the last time you changed your mind not because the room shifted, but because your thinking did?