What It Means To Be In The Herd

By Patrice McCoy


The meaning of being in the herd can be quite diffuse. It could refer to a radio program broadcast in the USA and presented by a man called Colin Cowherd. In this case the pun on the words 'herd' and the homophone 'heard' adds extra meaning through wit. However, many scientists toil ceaselessly to understand the behavior of creatures that are born in crowds or tight knit social groups that define who they are.

The phrase could therefore be a pun, with a play on the word 'heard' and the name of the radio show presenter. This radio show is apparently branching out into podcast s that can heard over the Internet. Presumably this would convert many smart phones into what used to be called portable radios. In the distant days of the twentieth century portable radios were an exciting innovation that allowed people to take sports broadcast with them on fishing expeditions or out into a workshop.

Now once shining and new portable radios are gathering dust in garden sheds or attics. In the 1980s the word podcast was unknown. In 2012 the word is quite widely understood to mean oral messages sent out over the Internet. This could be a way for radio presenters to survive by extending their reach through smart phones and similar new applications.

Gadgets are only one of a set of elements in the communication process, They are the channels through which senders send messages to receivers. The communication process needs several elements all of which are subject to interference. The hiker in Pakistan listening to a cricket match commentary from London does not wish to be distracted by images because his eyes could be occupied in keeping an eye on his immediate environment.

In ancient times professional hunters probably had excellent understanding of herd behavior although they may not have stored their knowledge in writing. Their priorities were also very different, with the intent to kill being high on the list. In the twenty-first century the most important intention would more probably be to conserve the last few pockets of wild animals still existing.

One remarkable discovery is that elephants seem to have had complex communication systems throughout the centuries, since long before human beings discovered how to create similar artificial methods. Whales have even more long distance systems and are thought to be able send and receive messages from around the world in a way that is not entirely dissimilar to the Internet.

Group communication systems among what are regarded as lower life forms such as ants, bees and birds are also being discovered to be much more complex than previously know. In fact some philosophers have begun to argue that is actually the lack of capabilities that have forced human beings to the top of the evolutionary tree.

Having the instincts to band together is perhaps as important for survival at the emotional as well as the intellectual level. Some human beings, particularly those that have experienced the bliss of solitude when in their formative years, take every opportunity that they can find to be alone. They enjoy their own company and are at ease in it. However, even loners gravitate towards company after spells of solitude, drawn by some deep need to be in the herd.




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