I want to go to Hawaii. It’s not an overwhelming urge, and it’s not so much because of what Hawaii has to offer, although it sounds very photogenic. Part of it is that I love to explore new places. But another part, the part that doesn’t sound that good, is that I want to go because so many people I know have gone.

Now, that may sound like a “me too” reason. But it’s not that I want to be able to say, “I went there too!” It’s so I can understand what people find attractive about it. So I can relate to the stories. Sometimes I read a book or watch a TV show or listen to a song just so I can relate to the people who enjoy it and see why it’s so popular. If something is part of our cultural literacy, I want to understand it.

I think the instinct to go with the herd can be both good and bad. On the one hand, it’s the social glue that allows us to work together, to become part of something greater than we are alone. On the other hand, it can rob us of our individuality. I think a balance of the two is what makes us human.