Group Mentality and Breaking Free

As a former group exercise leader, I've found it tricky navigating within and around the tribe/family constructs.

Contrary to popular opinion -- it's not all about the group dynamic.

Social people love and promote this idea only because it soothes the unconscious pain of stifled individualism.

This is an insidious form of brainwashing. The authentic life is -- has always been -- about the, the individual. Individuation is, by definition, a breaking free of the group mind -- the family people cannot follow the individual into the heightened realities.

It's never the group that transcends -- only the one. By contrast, back on Earth -- the group elevates the inferior and celebrates the lower so everyone can be included and everyone gets a certificate of participation.

Until a man conquers himself, he has little but the basics to share with others.

Self-knowledge -- self-development -- is first and foremost.

Social activities -- including family and householding -- divert vital energy that might better be used for self-inquiry

Getting too caught up in social causes disregards individual karma.

What you might think is rescuing another may prevent the fulfillment of a person's life lesson.

This doesn't mean you don't help one another out or be ungenerous or unkind -- not at all, but only beware of the social mind telling you to give more.

The average person is a follower; they need to be told what to do. Like a child, their consciousness is undeveloped and open to impression and this may be grossly abused.

A proper leader shows the way toward higher-mindedness and encourages self-reliance -- even while leading a group.

I'll share my own experience.

During the mid 1980's when group exercise was just beginning to take off, aerobic dance came into vogue and a slew of aerobic offerings were borne -- with an accompanying crop of newly celebrated trainers.

I saw a big gap in the dance-exercise movement and wanted to create something male-centric because everything was marketed towards women -- -- I didn't realize at the time that this is because group exercise is in itself a female/social experience.

But at the time I saw women getting all these great classes while the men were still hanging around the weight room doing the bench press and curl.

You must understand this was before functional training boot camp cross training was popularized -- all that stuff. People were deep into the machine age in the 1980's.

I developed a hybrid class based on circuits combined with group exercise and I dubbed it Rambo Aerobics.

1) Sylvester Stallone had just come out with the John Rambo series and it was wildly popular
2) I donned a faded military uniform and an obnoxious drill-sergeant persona
3) Even though my idea was to attract men at least 75% of attendees were women -- and this is telling
4) People were mesmerized

The crazy thing is the more outrageous and nasty I behaved the more people liked it.

The class took on a cult-like status -- not unlike certain fitness movements today.

I had my detractors, of course, and much of their criticism was merited

Today I cringe remembering some of the stuff I did back then

Still, there were many great things about that class, including:

It was the first group-exercise class using the military format in a commercial setting

It was the first group-exercise class to incorporate weight training and timed intervals

We even did a yoga-inspired cool-down

It was such an unusual class I was interviewed on the nationally syndicated Good Morning America

In fact the set-up and concept were solid -- it was the execution that makes me shudder.

One day in class I learned how important it is to maintain integrity in this fitness business.

I had rapidly gained the veneration of the group and people seemed willing to do anything I asked them.

But I was pushing people too far -- beyond the constraints of safety. At the time I didn't understand what I was playing with and looking back I I can see that in some ways I did more harm than good.

A point of illustration:
My classes had grown so huge that attendees could not see me This was the old follow-the-leader style of class -- I did the move then the class mirrored me.

Unfortunately, at this time of my teaching career, my priority was to get in my own workout -- which I know now is a mistake.

The instructor should never work out alongside his charges because there is no way to pay attention to others form and technique when you are preoccupied in pursuit of your own goals.

Not to mention I was egotistical and competitive at this stage of life.

I should have been paying more attention to the class -- to their technique and form -- and keeping them safe.

But back to the story: I had this little stage built up so people could better view me and I could also see everyone -- even at the rear of the class.

So there I was leading the class and we were mid-way through a fairly complex exercise in a standing position and I got too close to the edge of the stage. I fell off the edge -- fell over and pitched forward -- but my reflexes were such that I dropped down and caught myself in a perfect low-plank position.

Mortification shot through me but when I looked up -- to my surprise -- everyone in the room had flung themselves forward and prostrated into a low-plank!

I thought: What the hell but I can't let everyone think the great fitness guru Steve Maxwell tripped and fell off stage!

So I jumped back onstage and repeated the move four more times in succession: a jumping leap to landing on all fours on the floor -- an impressive feat, although I wouldn't try it now.

I realized these people were mimicking everything I did

It was a wake-up call and I came to several realizations:

1) People in these group situations are sheep -- having no understanding, rhyme, or reason of what they are doing

2) An instructor is a sheep dog charged with the care and safety of this herd

3) Suddenly I knew that I never -- ever -- wanted to be one of those people -- sheep! -- following the spiel of some dude in an army uniform on a stage!

4) I realized that with this great power of mine came an accompanying responsibility and stewardship: innocent people are putting their faith, trust, health -- and hard-earned dollars -- in my hands and it was and is my inherent duty to do right by the people.

What do I mean by doing right by the people? I'll spell it out:

The class deserves the 100% undivided attention of the instructor

No cell phones

No texting

No working out with the group to get your own workout

The instructor's actions trainees get the most productive and safest workout possible

Respect people's time

No belittling trainees

I used to use this negative feedback model and while it seemed to motivate some trainees -- ultimately it is destructive to both other and self.

I also realized that just as these people were blindly following my lead -- because they trusted me -- I too put my faith and trust in others e.g. the accountant or the auto-mechanic and just because I am fit doesn't make me better than anyone else -- in other words I am also at times necessarily a trusting soul.

The fact is I am not cut out to lead a group exercise movement with any sort of gimmick, as I have no gimmick I can promote but my own version of male virtue and seeking out truth, and my own life story.

It was my foray into social fitness that opened up the weirdness and I soon returned to what I knew best and trusted: my own solitary training and experimentation.

In Strength and Health!

Steve