What is the effect of massive crowding on humanity?
People as individuals respond to crowding in different ways. For some, the response is isolation: building a protective shell around themselves to keep others out. For others, the answer is using various forms of escape: physically getting away or fantasizing about alternate ways of being. Still others embrace it and immerse themselves as deep into the crowd as possible. While we cannot say definitively how crowding changes us, it is undeniable that it changes us
We will probably never see an uncrowded world again. Even when I was isolated in the barren deserts of southern Utah, it was not possible to avoid other people entirely. People have found ways to live in just about every conceivable location on earth, and unless our world population goes through a major reduction event, crowds will be continually more difficult to avoid.
There’s a lot of ‘common knowledge’ on the subject, mostly stating that overcrowding in any species leads to increased aggression and dominance/submission behaviors. I believe this to be roughly true. I also think people are well past the point of ‘natural’ population densities even in large towns, much less cities and metropolises.
But there are some other interesting perspectives and lesser-known research on the matter. For instance, one study suggests that many coping behaviors occur more commonly in crowded animals than in the same species when not crowded. In other words, by being crowded we learn how to pay better attention to the needs of those around us. Another study indicates that after being removed from a crowded situation, people quickly return to their natural aggression levels. So it could be that crowding itself may increase aggression in many, but only for the duration of the crowding, not all the time. This study goes on to suggest that crowding may lead to withdrawal rather than aggression for many, if not most, people.
Whether or not aggression in people is increased by increased populations, we have one large advantage over most other life: we are cognizant, conscious, and therefore able to take responsibility for our responses in the world. This means that we can choose to change ourselves. It also means that denying responsibility for our actions is a choice, one that we as a society need to either reward or punish. Acting as if we are the unwilling subjects of our biology rejects the very nature of human-ness: the ability to choose for ourself how to respond to our situation.
Sure, a crowded world creates many problems that didn’t exist before. But it’s no excuse for being responsible enough to solve those problems.
Resources:
- The natural history of violence. [www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
- The not-so-madding crowd - crowding stress leads to coping behavior in primates [findarticles.com]
- Physical aggression after being crowded [www.springerlink.com]
Other news
- Yes, sunglasses are a wellness statement, too: Just Like Skin, Eyes Can ‘Burn’ in Strong Sun [healthday.com]
- So now you can handle the fall from the barstool without injury: Light Alcohol Consumption May Help Bones [healthday.com]
- And all along I thought isolating a baby from all contact was a good thing: Premature babies ‘need cuddles’ [news.bbc.co.uk]
Quote for the week
What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. - Joseph Addison
From the editor
Happy Memorial Day! Have fun, drink responsibly, get home safe.
Hurrah, the Phoenix Mars probe has touched down safely! I know this doesn’t have much to do with wellness, but it is fascinating to me.
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
