David Riesman: The Lonely Crowd

David Riesman writes of three very different character types in his book "The Lonely Crowd." The first type, tradition directed, is driven by cultural demands to act in an approved way, and is enforced through fear of being shamed or losing honor. The second type, inner-directed, is driven by an "inner gyroscope" that is set primarily by his parents. The inner-directed person behaves according to this "internal piloting" and often senses feelings of guilt, rather than shame, if his behavior shifts from these parent-instilled values. The third and final type, other-directed, is the group that Riesman has nicknamed "the lonely crowd." The behavior of other-directed individuals is governed primarily by their set of peers at any given moment. According to Riesman, other-directed individuals have an internal "radar" for sensing and responding to their peers and makes them "capable of a rapid if sometimes superficial intimacy with and response to everyone." The "lonely crowd" of inner-directed individuals is where most Americans today would belong according to Riesman's categorizations.

The other-directed type of person varies greatly from the other two types. Rather than basing behavior on the example set by parents or traditional roles, the other-directed type is constantly attuned to the behavior of peers and responds based on what is observed. This type of person is, by definition, "at home everywhere and nowhere." The primary difference between other-directed and the two other types comes from the size of the group that their behavior is established upon. While tradition-directed types respond to the needs of a small group of close contacts, for example in a Samoan village, the inner-directed responds to only a set of values within himself that was established at a young age by the limited family group. The other-directed type, however, responds to an infinite number of individuals, as many as he meets in a lifetime. This number could be in the millions since the inner "radar" of the other-directed type picks up cues even from people passing by on the street. The behavior of these passing acquaintances is of little consequence to the other two types. The tradition-directed type rarely came in contact with those outside his social group, and the inner-directed type does not respond to the cues of others. This type follows cues only from his "inner gyroscope." Lastly, other-directed individuals are driven by a diffuse anxiety that they will not conform or fit in properly, in essence that their "radar" could go haywire. This differs from the other two types in that inner-directed types suffer from guilt if they do not follow the course set by their "inner-gyroscope," and tradition-directed types fear being shamed if they do not fit into their culturally set role. American society began with an inner-directed community epitomized by the Protestant ethic and men like Benjamin Franklin. This society replaced the earlier, tradition-directed tribal groups of Native Americans. Eventually, the inner-directed society slowly transformed into the other-directed society that is present today.

It is apparent in many aspects of American society today that it is in fact a "lonely crowd." The ability to get along with most everyone, to be "normal," and to behave properly is essential for Americans at work, play, in traffic, in school, even at the mall. Constantly responding to the signals picked up the inner "radar" and the need to be friendly with everyone, leaves little time for people to develop strong, lasting friendships as previous generations did. As the internet (a tool that can expand the inner "radar" to learn what people are doing around the world) has made the world accessible at the click of a mouse, people are also becoming more isolated for each other. The sheer flood of information incessantly incoming on the "radar" can make it difficult for individuals to have the same sense of self that an inner-directed individual would, which can lead to loneliness. All of these elements combined have factored into the current state of American society as a "lonely crowd."