On my google alerts I get to learn about any number of Herd-related stuff. For example, the endless excitement/disappointment around the Thundering Herd of Marshall University (various college sports teams and their fans). And more than I ever wanted to know about herd-culling in various populations of deer, bison, buffalo and cattle....
And there are various folk in the bloggersphere blogging about (or rather mostly against) herd behaviour. Curiously, it seems a popular stance for those on the Righter side of things: don't follow the herd! think for yourself! Etc...
But the smartest thing I've seen lately is more sympathetic: following the Herd on holiday is mostly a good idea. You know that the sights and the facilities you want will be there, if other people are also going there; going somewhere stubbornly different or at a stubbornly different time (kids on the red-eye, discuss) is likely to be much harder...
Other people - and their behaviour - are particularly useful guides to what's going on, what to expect and what is or isn't safe/fun/valuable. They see what we can't see, taste what we can't taste, do what we can't yet do. Sometimes we read their recommendations, other times just their body language. In a social creature such as ourselves, other people are an essential information source. And why the heuristic "people like me think/do..." is so useful and all pervasive in our lives.
And why that old line from When Harry Met Sally still sings:
"I'll have what she's having"(have a look at this version or this rather scary one too)
Of course, it can lead us astray (financial behaviour is full of examples of how easily this can screw things up) but I still wonder why more folk can't work with our nature, rather than against it?