Most of the time, allowing our peers to think on our behalf benefits us. We trust the herd and societal norms because it saves us time and energy. We don’t have to independently gather data and analyze.

What is fascinating is seeing people follow the herd without understanding why they need to a certain thing. There is an incoming hurricane in my area, and I can say from first hand experience that while many people understand why they need hurricane supplies, a large portion of them are overbuying supplies just because they’ve been told to, or observe that everyone else is stocking up. This remains true despite many purchasers not knowing how they will use the products they buy.

A similar occurrence happened with the COVID-19 toilet paper buyout. Ignoring the scalpers, many people felt it essential to buy enough toilet paper to last months or even years based on their current consumption rate. Why?

This is because there is a difference between the reality of being prepared, and the perception of being prepared. In the original Matrix movie, Cypher is satisfied with the perception of being rich, powerful, and successful, despite the reality. Likewise, many of us are satisfied with perception of preparation only, as defined by the herd. And sometimes, in the case of hurricanes and toilet paper, this translates to comical decision making.