If you do it, I'll do it too

If you were struggling with business, who would you be more willing to take advice from: Bill Gates or Bernard Madoff?  The obvious decision is made so quickly because of one thing: credibility.  Many times, if someone is told something from what they consider a credible source, they are highly inclined to believe it, regardless of if it is actually true.  As Bill Gates is to business, Jonathan Edwards is to religion.  Edwards' speech "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" carried enough power to convince millions of people to convert to the Puritan church.  His vivid metaphors of the weakness of the human being in comparison to the wrath of God brought people to tears with fear.  Why so many people believed Edwards' sermon is beyond reasons of credibility, however.
Along with deciding how true something is by it's source, humans rely on each other when making decisions.  Humans strongly support mob mentality, defined as unique behavioral characteristics that emerge when people are in groups.  While being in a group has its benefits, some mob characteristics are not always positive.  A great example is the Westboro Baptist Church, a group of forty members that holds extreme religious beliefs, most notably their disapproval of homosexuality.  Through open public protest, they convey these controversial beliefs to persuade others that it is what God wants.  Their belief system is so extreme that members are willing to kill.  It is through this strength in numbers that people sometimes make brash decisions, as well as gain the courage and bravery to perform acts that would not normally be completed alone.
To develop oneself as an individual being, it is important to spend time alone in order to develop voice and reasoning.  Being alone allows one to work through problems effectively, think deeply, and relax in solitude.  Paul Tillich states, "Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone.  And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone".  Living in the confines of the home has become looked down upon in society.  Those who are considered "party animals" are classified as fun to be around, interesting, and energetic, while the more introverted are "odd", "awkward", or "unsociable".  What about such things as self confidence, intuition, and awareness that are developed by being alone; are these traits of no value?