Two quick stories, one that have kind of caught me off guard recently and the other, which I saw yesterday, kind of reinforces the group or mob mentality theory, ! I think both pertain to the original post.
An old friend that I have known for over 40 years, was one of the most miserable, nasty pricks you ever had the misfortune to have for a friend. As youths, we played hockey together. I was back-up to him as goalies and was lucky enough to realize at an early age I was never going to don the #1 jersey, so I became a defenseman instead. He was without a doubt the best goalie I ever shared the same ice with and that includes several N.H.Lers. He was, unfortunately, one of the few who could transfer his on-ice attitude to the golf course. Full contact golf, with the odd fist fight thrown in, was not out of the question! In the summer months, he also played Baseball(as a pitcher), I played Lacrosse. I thought it was safer than having him throwing balls at my head during batting practice because he was just as much the PR on the ball diamond as he was anywhere else. There is no "I" in "Team", but there is an "M' and a "E" and that was him.
I hadn't spoke with him for a couple of months, when he phones me up last week. As soon as he said "Hello Rick" I could tell there was something different. 2 or 3 minutes later, I regained my composure and peeled myself off the ceiling. I was stunned! I couldn't believe it was the same person. He'd had an epiphany. He had taken his mother to church on a Sunday and instead of coming back to pick her up, he decided to go in. He told me that he looked around the inside of the church and the whole place seemed to be talking to him. Hymns and especially their numbers had special meaning to him. The verses that were chosen for the sermon that day seemed to be directed right at him. He spoke with someone after the service and he has now devoted his life to Christ. Just like that!!!!
I heard him belly laugh during our conversation more than once and I couldn't tell what decade it was when I last heard him laugh like that. He is alcohol, pharmaceutical and tobacco free for the first time in 30+ years.
Our philosophies differ on religion, and I'm hoping that he can at least if not compromise just a little, have the ability to accept that I may have a different slant on things. One thing is for sure, the new him sounds much more tolerable than the old one!
I believe that as a group, the people who were in that Anglican Church the day my friend had his rebirth had some effect on what happened to him.

"Borat", that moron from Kazakhstan. I tried to watch the movie, and yes I did find some of it funny, but for the most part I thought it was not worth watching. So I haven't seen it from start to finish. Yesterday my youngest son brings up this thing on "Youtube". It's Borat singing a Country and Western song that he wrote about his country. He's preforming in Texas I think and it must be "Talent Night" at the bar! He's introduced and is warmly received by the patrons. He starts to sing the most horrible song you ever heard "In my country we problem, and the problem is transportation". The camera pans the room to show the "hurry up and get off the freakin stage look" on most of the people faces! He starts the second verse of the song and the look turns to one of disbelief. "In my country we have problem, and the problem is the Jew" with the chorus
being "Throw the Jew down the well". Before the song is done, all those looks of disbelief have turned to laughter and most are singing along to the chorus. It wasn't funny, but it certainly was eye opening to see how fast a crowd can turn their thought patterns around!