I'd like to recommend a book that kick-started my journey into thinking about and understanding humans as social animals and why we gather as we do. The deeply ingrained need to eat, dance, and gossip, and how that might translate into modern times by marching together. And also how important compassion and empathy is for our survival, and why it might feel more distant the bigger our world has become.

Dawn over the Kalahari : how humans became human by Lasse Berg.

There are other books in the series tackling more modern times that I haven't read (I haven't found them in a language I speak well enough) that might actually be even more relevant to where you are today if you can find and understand them... but even the first book, particularly towards the end tying it all together and the social shift from gatheres to farmers, was a great philosophical jumping off point for me.

The first half is quite dry and I'm sure there is better material out there but this one did it for me back in the day. Hopefully it holds up still, and perhaps you'll find it interesting.

[–] Cloudstash@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

I'll add that to my list of books to read. Right now i am again going trough the bio released in the name of known deranged leaders, both political leaders, but also corp leaders, not as a follower of course, just to find the similarities that arent the common ones.

One interesting person to study is Nero. If you like that kind of history, find different writtings from different years/periods(as close to his existance up untill today) and cross reference it in any way you can. It does get weird, but it does also show that people in groups seemingly starts sharing a mind if pushed by a greater entity. Just a tip.

[–] kindnesskills@literature.cafe 0 points 1 hour ago

I don't even think people need to be pushed, rather it's natural that the minds of people who spend a lot of time together start to align. In what way they align is where leadership and peer pressureand propaganda plays a role... But I'd love to check it out. Do you have any specific material to start me off?

Btw, I really appreciate that your writing is more calm and focused on connecting and helping me understand you, rather than coming off as antagonistic, these past few messages. Thank you.