Gruppe und Graus

In times of self-optimization and hyper-individualism, the binding power of parties, clubs, sports, cultural, or music associations is diminishing. People today are freer than ever before, but they are slowly feeling cold in their self-centered bubbles. They long for comfort – which seems to be offered more by new homogeneous groups than by traditional organizations. Martin Hecht examines the contemporary manifestations of a herd mentality, expressed in self-referential rituals. Groups today increasingly tend to distance themselves from the rest of society: as fun, party, theme, lifestyle, self-experience, fan, or chat associations. Within these communities, the collective experience is what matters, and their members – often uninhibited – hope to fully immerse themselves in them. However, when this remains the sole goal, the atmosphere and events become an end in themselves, leaving the outside world behind. "Group and Gruesomeness" describes the developmental lines of this retreat into private protective spaces and highlights the dangers it poses to social cohesion.