The 'we' revolution?

13/11/09

Posted by Ben

I came across a good illustration of our 'herd nature' this morning. As I got off the train and was walking towards the station exit, I saw that most people were putting up their umbrellas just before they got outside. I'd left my umbrella in the office, and having got completely soaked in Nottingham the night before I didn't really want a repeat experience, so I walked towards Boots to buy an emergency brolly. But just before I got there I looked outside properly and realised that it wasn't raining at all. So why had everyone put up their umbrellas - and why did they not take them down again as soon as they got outside? Perhaps someone in the marketing department at Filton has been reading Marks Earls' book, Herd, and planted a few people with umbrellas outside to set off a chain reaction. Or perhaps everyone just assumed that it would be raining (not unreasonably, at the moment!). Either way, I very nearly bought yet another umbrella that I didn't really need, and felt a bit sheepish as a result.