Lately, I've been mulling over the "herd mentality." In marketing, the herd mentality is an extremely useful tool to use and understand. Essentially, we buy things or buy into ideas when our herd does, or the herd we wish to align ourselves with. The opposite also has its power - when we do not desire to align ourselves with a certain group, we shun those things and ideas that represent them. My first remembrance of being led by the herd mentality came in elementary school, perhaps in 3rd grade. Many a day, I would sit on the bus next to, or close by, a girl one year younger than I. She had the curliest sandy-colored mop of hair with horn-rimmed glasses, so shy and quiet. I considered her a friend but, I regret, she may not have felt the same about me. There was this moment that vividly sticks in my mind of briefly becoming a part of a group of bullies. See, she had lice. Quite noticeably too. Hopping lice. Honestly, I think a part of me was fascinated - I had never seen...