Statistical evaluation of behavior does not reveal sickness or illness. This is not a "health" issue. It is a normative behavior modification exercise of social censure. Many people who are currently diagnosed as "autistic" or "schizophrenic" are perfectly well functional people with jobs and lives. It is the intolerance of the social planners and capitalist efficiency experts that seeks to "cull the herd" and "remove the eccentric personalities" that seeks to stigmatize and label normal psychological behavior and personalities as extreme, sick, or dangerous. It is society itself that is dangerous, NOT these people.
Behavioral analysis of herd behavior in deer reveal that there is a diversity of reaction times among deer. Some deer have a high sensitivity and are easily startled. Other deer have a low sensitivity and almost nothing unusual disturbs them. The rest of the herd's reaction times are statistically distributed between these two extremes. To have a variance in behavior among individual deer is good for the survival of the herd. Any possible external threat will be signaled to the rest of the herd by the highly sensitive deer. If it is a "real threat" the majority of the herd will recognize it and act accordingly. If it is not a real threat, the herd will not react and the skittish deer will then settle down.
Aside: in a way this herd behavior could be a form of behavioral "voting" in animal organizations. The reaction is a vote. If an initial proposal (the startled deer) gets enough votes (positive reactions from the other deer), then the entire herd runs away together.
copyright (c) 2018
William Schaeffer
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