What is defined as being "Pack Mentality"? It is the state of mind in humanity that dictates a large part of its functions. In humans it is often called "group mentality","gang mentality", or "mob mentality". It all means the same thing, the same state of mind. Essentially, the Mentality of the Pack is formed at the individual level, as a number of individuals joining for a common purpose. In both humanity and in the animal kingdom, the common purpose is survival, both of the individuals and the species itself. In humanity, however, there are other purposes other than survival ,which stem from human ambition..."Ambition: 1) a strong desire for fame or honor; a seeking after a high position or great power. 2) something strongly desired or sought after"...In other words, the Pack is formed because of what individuals desire, not necessarily what they need in order to survive. Another human root of Pack Mentality is fear. That may be fear of persecution, fear of rejection, or fear of opposition from other packs and how that power might endanger other individuals, or even fear for no logical reason at all; e.i paranoia. In theriantrhopy, the mentality of the pack is just as much a "human thing" as it is an "animal thing". Losing sight of reality is far less a danger to the "animal side" as it is to the human core. That is Pack Mentality. psychology (pathology), there exists the term of "lycanthopy" which refers to a state in certain individuals who undergo a complete change of personalty, from a normal and rational mindset into a savage and irrational one. These individuals suffering from pathological lycanthropy often act like threatened wild animals, attacking any who approach with clawing and bites. The sufferer apparently has no control over this change in personality, and so it is both dangerous to himself/herself as well as those around him/her.
The concept of "pack mentality" is related to the neurological proccess called "habituation". Primitive man developed a survival technique that requires "patterning" of his environment. A correlation of the patterning is a "pleasure response" to the familiar. This basic hard wired neurological factor engenders everything from language, mathamatics, art and music to "pack mentality"and in it's extreme to obssessive compulsive behavior. Violent antisocial behavior or sudden personality changes, on the other hand, are usually caused by chemical imbalances or trauma. Since unproductive violent aberrant behavior has no survival factor, it is not intrinsic to our nature, ergo the "werewolf" is suffering from a disease or injury, not any normal progression of idiosyncratic anti social behavior.
