The hive mind is a set of shared attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge among a group of people, first articulated by French sociologist Emile Durkheim. It can be beneficial for a community, but also lead to destructive groupthink and violence. Subgroups within a larger hive mind can emerge with their own values and ideas.
The hive mind, which is also often referred to as a collective consciousness, is a set of attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge shared by a group of people. In most cases, individuals in a society are aware of their individuality and the information in the hive mind, although there are extreme cases which can cause many people to become engrossed in groupthink. Groups can be made up of entire communities or subgroups within a community.
The hive mind idea was first articulated by Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist. Its original term, “collective consciousness”, in French, has been translated into English as collective consciousness or collective consciousness. The intent of the French term falls somewhere between these two English translations. The collective consciousness, or hive mind, however, is not itself a consciousness. It is a rational set of beliefs and ideas rather than an emotion-driven group consciousness.
In many cases, the hive mind is beneficial to a company. It helps a group stay connected by reinforcing shared values and allows information to spread among members of a community. Historically, small tribal communities would have had a hive mind incorporating all members of the tribe. The individuals had no information or ideas that the group also did not know about. In essence, individuals have become inseparable from the community, creating a strong group dynamic.
In modern societies containing many members, the hive mind is often divided into numerous subgroups. There may be a general collective identity, but there are also small group identities that break away from it. Graduates of a certain university, people in a specific line of work, people who live in a neighborhood, and other similar subgroups will emerge with their own sets of values and ideas that are compatible with those of the larger hive mind.
While the hive mind helps people in a group stay connected, group consciousness can also lead to destructive acts and violence. This type of groupthink is often referred to as a mob mentality because it can easily lead to situations where violent and unruly mobs form. People are especially likely to fall into this type of mindset when they’re angry or scared and consider themselves anonymous. When confronted with a person or group that does not fit the identity, people acting under the influence of a hive mind can turn on those people even though they may not have an issue with them under normal circumstances.
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