Do you "herd" what I "herd"?

I was standing on the corner of California Street this evening. California Street is a wide and very busy urban street and people drive fast. The light was red and I waiting for it to turn green to cross. A young woman was standing on the same corner too. We made eye contact and smiled at each other. She looked away quickly, and turned to survey the traffic in both directions. She was looking intently, first left then right, then left, then right, etc.

While she did that, I stood there watching her watch the traffic; I finally glanced away and casually scanned it myself. I felt no sense of urgency. Maybe she was in a hurry or maybe she felt uncomfortable with me being there (after all, it was dusk in the big City). I don't know.

But before the light turned green, she spotted a lag in the traffic flow and bolted across the street against the light.

I watched her go. A few seconds later, and without thought, I also bolted into the street against the light into on-coming traffic! But the traffic situation had already changed! It had increased and I did an eye lock onto headlights careening my way into the intersection! The rest is a blur! All I can say is that I made it to the other side--Thank you, Lord! (If He hadn't been with me, I would have literally "made it to the other side"!)

But talk about the herd instinct!

I admit that I didn’t bolt just from pure instinct! Just before I jumped off the curve, I remember vaguely thinking, "If she's going to do it, I won't be a wimp about this either." Then, whoosh, I was off!

This is an example of my "amygdala" (the primitive and instinctive part of the human brain) reacting to her sudden movement (originally for survival), coupled with the male cultural conditioning of my "neo-cortext" (my so-called modern, 'advanced' brain).

In this case, my "advanced" brain justified the folly of my primitive brain's reactivity, resulting in my dumb action.

Wildebeests have been known to follow herd leaders over a cliff in a stampede. It seems this "modern man" had a "wildebeest" moment!

(Rats! The lens just fell out of my good reading glasses!)

Joe