Silos and Sheep Mentality Threaten Democracy

Today, political conflict is rife. It’s playing out daily in the news media, as well as in the public square and on university campuses. Sharp opinions, some with questionable accuracy, are espoused and scapegoating is becoming more prevalent. Freedom of speech and civility become first-line issues.

The annual Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey earlier this year found that many Americans are poorly informed about basic constitutional knowledge. Some 37 percent of those surveyed could not name any of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, and only 26 percent could name all three branches of the federal government. In a study by the National Center for Educational Statistics, two-thirds of 8th graders did not know the historical importance of the Declaration of Independence.

Dangers of Conformity

Understanding democratic government and its principles is vital for all citizens. They must make sense of proposals, political positions, Supreme Court decisions, and press and media reports. If they have limited knowledge, they will be inept in comprehending the current impact of important documents and principles.

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to citizenship, governance and politics. One purpose of public education is to produce knowledgeable citizens, with a strong understanding of democratic principles and reasoning. Silos and pressure groups favor a sheep mentality and conformity.

Eleanor Roosevelt expressed concern over the pressure on people to conform, restricting their individuality. She stated, “[T]he worst threat comes from within, from a man’s or woman’s apathy, his willingness to surrender to pressure, to ‘do it the easy way,’ to give up the one thing that is himself, his value and his meaning as a person — his individuality.”

Standing on principle, going against the grain and being an independent thinker are essential parts of America’s story. If this is thwarted, people withdraw and their opinions are silenced to conform to group pressures. As Americans, we talk past each other and retire into our media “echo chambers,” viewing and reading only news coverage and commentary that aligns with our existing political philosophy.

When people associate only with others of similar philosophies rather than engage with different viewpoints, any potential for dialogue evaporates and democracy weakens. Networks of community organizations with diverse interests break apart and people stop working to find common ground. These silos develop simplistic binary thought — good versus bad, enemies versus friends, enlightened versus demented — which has a dogmatic and anti-intellectual appeal.

When this happens, solutions are not discovered, differences are reinforced negatively and a dangerous cycle of indifference can begin. In many cases, people disengage and look to others to determine what to do. Frustration, isolation and contempt are contrary to democratic values and meeting the civic duties of citizenship.

Role of Education

Education must open the eyes of students to something greater than a simplistic binary thinking of good or bad. Reason and reflection are necessary to understand the complexities and undercurrents that create questions and issues.

Civility does not restrain the expression of ideas, but simply involves the manner in which ideas or proposals are conveyed. Name-calling, innuendo or verbal barrages simply provoke abrasiveness and disrespect, creating total rejection of individuals’ ideas and positions.

Citizens in a democracy do not need “safe spaces” away from disagreement and contemplation. Following rules of decorum are necessary to live together.

Being a citizen sometimes means being the wolf howling in the wilderness with the courage to go against the social or political grain or the silo mentality. Courage, however, is not being free of fear. It requires overcoming it.