Packs, Cliques and Growing Up (Too) Slowly

    Have you every really examined and thought about the inter-personal dynamics in your office (workplace)?  I have come to the sad conclusion, not only from my own experience, but from reams of stories told to me by others about their workplaces, that most people, whatever their education, ethnic background or way of life, have a mentality that is very destructive to the proper functioning of that workplace.  There is a kind of mentality which gets its opinions largely from the opinions of whoever they are surrounded by.  They don't like mixed messages; they prefer 'purity' of message.  Therefore, they work to build exclusive cliques of like-minded people so that the opinions and messages they receive are not disturbing to them.  Opposition is always disturbing to such a mentality.

    They do not like to think that other groups (cliques, mentalities), who are not similar enough to be part of their clique, are valid or have valid, though opposing, views and opinions.  Therefore they engage in constant self-reinforcement through both positive and negative means.  On the positive (not necessarily good) side, they engage in frequent and overly dramatic praise for anything done, said or worn by other members of their particular clique.  On the negative side, they engage in frequent 'back-stabbing' whisper campaigns of character assassination against any other person, not of their clique, who has the misfortune (or poor taste in their view) to make his/her opposing opinions publicly known, even if only overheard from a distance.  To this mentality, any opposing view must, as quickly as possible, be pointed out to the rest of the clique and the offender quickly converted, conscripted or ostracized.  The ostracized will be subjected to general character assassination.  Conscripts are weaker mentalities who are conscripted through the threat of ostracism and character assassination.  Converts, though usually not large in number, serve to reinforce the view that they, the clique, are correct and 'pure' in their views, else why would anyone convert?  In my experience, most people, whatever their age, education, ethnicity or professed philosophy or religion, are of just this sort of exclusionist mentality.

    We all know the above to be the usual state-of-affairs among young teenagers.  We write it off as the result of immature individuals trying to figure out what they believe as they are, often for the first time in their lives, exposed to serious discussions of some of the great problems and issues of human society.  But why would this situation continue to govern the workplace dynamics among so-called mature adults?  Can we simply write it off here as "Because most adults aren't really all that mature."?  I don't think so; that simply begs the question of how to define maturity or 'when does a person reach adulthood'.  We are a social 'pack animal'.  Why would so many feel the urge to engage in social dynamics which can seriously harm or destroy the general pack dynamic in the workplace, thereby harming or risking harm to the work itself, not over questions directly related to the work, but over matters which do not directly relate to or affect the work at all?

    When so much of what we love about our society and our lives can be shown to have resulted from the interplay of social diversities, why do the majority continue to fear and loath that diversity so much.  I've always found that diversity of opinion is something to be actively sought.  Far from threatening my opinions, opposition helps me to correct and refine my opinions and, of course,  many many millions of people around the world feel the same way.  Why do the majority reject diversity of opinion so strongly?  Any ideas on the matter would be very welcome.