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Tech Advisor + Founder & CEO

The Herd Instinct With the imminent arrival of 2024, I wanted to take the opportunity to discuss the area of conformity within social circles, whether at work or in society. As we discuss the impact of AI on society, the naive takes that brush aside reality with heavily laden assumptions of unbending logic, truth-maximization, complete awareness and perfect omniscience have to give way to realistic models of social choice. Understanding social conformity or the herd instinct is definitely important for serious discussions. Mark Twain tackles social conformity in a wonderful essay titled “Corn-Pone Opinions.” He discusses how as a boy of fifteen in Missouri he was enthralled by “a gay and impudent and satirical and delightful young Black man—a slave—who daily preached sermons from the top of his master's woodpile, with me for sole audience.” The young orator Jerry’s words—"You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I'll tell you what his 'pinions is”—left a deep impression on Twain and form the subject of his essay, which was written in 1901 but was discovered and published only many years after his death in 1923. What is a corn pone? It’s simple rustic cornbread. What the philosopher Jerry is saying: Show me where someone gets their bread and I’ll tell you what their opinions are. Mark Twain’s essay, written in his inimitable style, takes the position that Jerry was right but he did not go far enough. This snippet shows the force of his argument: “A political emergency brings out the corn-pone opinion in fine force in its two chief varieties—the pocketbook variety, which has its origin in self-interest, and the bigger variety, the sentimental variety—the one which can't bear to be outside the pale; can't bear to be in disfavor; can't endure the averted face and the cold shoulder; wants to stand well with his friends, wants to be smiled upon, wants to be welcome, wants to hear the precious words, "He's on the right track!" Uttered, perhaps by an ass, but still an ass of high degree, an ass whose approval is gold and diamonds to a smaller ass, and confers glory and honor and happiness, and membership in the herd. For these gauds, many a man will dump his lifelong principles into the street, and his conscience along with them. We have seen it happen. In some millions of instances.” This is played out everyday in our politics, our work and our social lives. You should read the full essay (linked to this post). Wish you an exciting 2024!

Mark Twain: Corn-pone Opinions

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John Dundas

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Sirisha Nampally

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In addressing the significance of social conformity and the herd instinct, Mark Twain's essay "Corn-Pone Opinions" emphasizes the influence of personal interests and the desire for social approval in shaping individuals' perspectives, evident in both political and everyday contexts.

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