Mobbing in the Workplace - a danger for us?

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Ahh so thats what its called, mobbing.
I have experienced this in two jobs, in my first adult one, log story short, I stuck with the standards I had learned in Uni, and my attitude irritated some of the more senior employees. I was politely offered gardening leave after I wrote a lengthy report detailing my response to the unfounded complaints... and the records I had kept of events.

The next time was more serious, but due to financial commitments I couldn't afford to leave the job, same thing as before, an older employee took a serious disliking to me, after I was given extra paid responsibilities which had been a part of her job... and she turned 20+ people against me including the employees of a partner organisation who were co-funding the job. I had the support of the management in the facility, but it was a very long year, the partner organisation did not renew the contract and neither company has worked with each other since.

One good thing came out of this, I noticed the warning signs and was able to intervene when I recognised this happening to a young person in a later job, I was relatively powerless but I think I curbed how serious it could have become.
I was fortunate to be in a senior position, and aside from being the only one supporting her, there weren't any negative consequences for me.
Some people blamed her for putting up with it, and not sticking up for herself, but she was the kind of kid that had always known bullying, and really did not know how to make a stand by herself.

Amity wrote:

"One good thing came out of this, I noticed the warning signs and was able to intervene when I recognised this happening to a young person in a later job, I was relatively powerless but I think I curbed how serious it could have become.
I was fortunate to be in a senior position, and aside from being the only one supporting her, there weren't any negative consequences for me.
Some people blamed her for putting up with it, and not sticking up for herself, but she was the kind of kid that had always known bullying, and really did not know how to make a stand by herself".

What a testament to your insight, courage and compassion that is.

Thank you.
I couldn't watch it unfold, it was just wrong. I was a key employee, but the crucial detail is that I didn't really have anything to loose, that is the only reason it was possible; otherwise the focus would have just switched onto me, I believe that is why other (usually decent) people are complacent about these things, they have something to loose by going against the grain.

Mobbing is driven by the primitive brain. Which is why I suspect that these people probably dont even realise what they are doing. So the best you can do is placate it...as one would a threatening dog.

It is less of a detriment if one can learn to skillfully avoid pack animals whilst being open to the more functional in human society.

Exactly. And I’m going to expand on that and ask why it takes published research to make people notice a phenomenon like this which so blatantly and obviously causes psychic damage, even though the specifics may not be yet scientifically identified and categorized. I mean, surely “mobbing” was evident in the workplace prior to this 80’s research.

But are they complacent about them exclusively, or are they actually blind to some of them as trayder suggests?


Based on olympiadis’ model of the hierarchical hive-mind, and similar sentiment to what Pepe shared:

I'm led to consider that the mob-mentality which is operating underneath such supposed complacency or ignorance is a "hive-blindness." It allows not just individuals, but groups, to act in such contemptible ways and then feign they knew nothing about the effects when discovered. Just as autism causes a “hierarchy blindness” where there is little regard for the hierarchy from not processing its existence, the hive itself is blind to the toxic effects of seeking to ensure certain individuals remain outside of the hive.

They can be blind to the effect because the group preservation takes precedence. The hive-blindness functions as an ongoing paradigm for group denial, and allows them to be blind to effects they’d rather not admit to. It could explain why you see it not discussed. They can’t see it. It may be their desire to stay in the group, it may be that they’ve never been on the receiving end and have no empathy for such abuse, but for whatever reason, they’re blind to the effects.

It’s like Milgram Experiment. But with groups at the controls. And instead of a test administrator overcoming the resistance of the perpetrator upping the level of shock, it is the group hive-blindness overcoming that resistance. Their drive for preserving the hierarchy allows them to be blind to the suffering imposed. They’ll keep delivering a shock until they reach their desired goal, which is usually exclusion of the target from their group. The cohesion of the hive allows individuals in the hive to dismiss whatever reticence over the group actions they may acquire in the process. In a way, "group-think" in a social setting.

Really interesting addition, thanks.

You reminded me of a conversation with another HFA woman recently, which came to this mutual conclusion:

"We need to stop using NT words like 'theory of mind' - it just reinforces NT ideas about what is deficient using themselves as the ruler, the model of standard human perfection by which ASDs are measured and compared; speak instead of "ASD perceptiveness" - because it's all a matter of where you stand, and what you see from that viewpoint, and claiming and naming what you see".

Also we discussed the word "worthless" - so often applied here by dispirited young aspies to themselves, meaning 'someone of no worth/value at all'. Split worthless into two halves though, and the result is: "worth less". This has a very different meaning, the implication that one is less valued. People who are not normative, in the societies in which most of WP members live, are automatically considered as "worth less". It is another example of the NT ruler being applied to define everyone else in a way that favours NT ideas and assumptions.

Power, control and dominance are underlying issues in the above NT concepts, and perhaps this too has some relevance to the ugly phenomenon of workplace mobbing.

I don't mind the term theory of mind, it reminds me how I think is more often understood at Wrong Planet and that maybe my theory of mind is intact just different. I realize that's not how the term started, and not saying ASDs aren't disorders, but it seems a somewhat recognized phenomenon at this point that those on the spectrum don't lack theory of mind though may not understand many minds.

Definitely. The hive is the (excuse the pun) be(e)-all, end-all of their existence. They must hold power, control, and dominance as a matter of survival and they allow themselves the luxury of being blind to the effect of any actions taken to preserve it.

The hive has sub-hives, or cliques. And each clique wants to increase in power, control, and dominance, to climb higher up the hierarchy within the hive. Whether it is feasible or not, each clique wants to advance in the eyes of the hierarchy to derive greater benefit for members of the clique, and will seek to eliminate whatever may stand in the way of that advancement.

If that is a team-member they perceive as “worth less” whom they have to marginalize and harass until they leave, the hive will do that and for its own psychic survival, it must remain blind to the devastating damage it inflicts, because that would be too difficult to face up to. The hive-blindness serves as psychic self-preservation for each member of the clique.

Kind of like the parent who wants to believe they provided a perfect environment for their children, and can never admit that there were any flaws or mistakes made that might have affected their child.

I don’t understand what is so psychically shattering about admitting to the truth, but then again, I’m not part of the hive.

This seems the very best summary/overview to me:

http://www.choixdecarriere.com/pdf/6573 ... nn1996.pdf

So much provisional information, including which workplaces seem the most dangerous, who gets targeted in terms of gender, and more or less everything else, including the idea of offering a special kind of occupational therapy to support the re-establishment of career futures to the victims during their recovery. (Should they wish to continue work and their profession).

V wrote: "I don’t understand what is so psychically shattering about admitting to the truth, but then again, I’m not part of the hive."

Is that what curebies willingly and knowingly want to be part of? Is their perspective the opposite to say yours and mine?

It's a mixture, I think.
Some know what is happening, and are indifferent, the easy life is their goal.
Others know, don't like it, but engage in self preservation.
Some might be utterly detached and enjoy the drama and gossiping opportunities, much as they would a soap opera.
Others are born followers, but will only follow those who are influential, power by proxy.
There are some bad apples though, who lead the way, and engage in psychological warfare for kicks and giggles, and sometimes just to get what they want, and I guess the group is drawn to socially powerful people, like politicians.

People are often a product of their environment, this is their normal way of being, unless it affects them negatively and directly, they do not engage in active self reflection; I believe these rough examples are also linked to various intelligence types and levels.

When evolution endowed humankind with self awareness, that was a significant break with the auto pilot of instinct where group dynamics act to ensure the preservation of the genetic structure. Self awareness runs counter to this and imbues humankind with the quest for knowledge of self and the cosmos. This particular function is pronounced in autistics of a rational disposition.

Thus our behaviours reflect the material conditions we create. Being a WIP, humankind is emerging from tribal structures into the global marketplace of capitalism but still carries some tribal baggage hence our difficulties.

In real terms, our lives should reflect this in sound discretion when dealing with others and relationships that reflect our consciousness. If anything, despair should not be an option as we in essence are NOT dysfunctional. We are highly functional but confronted with a material reality that is not in sync with our state. So take heart and develop strategies to negotiate these challenges.

Sorry. No idea what this means. If you can clarify, I may be able to respond.

Do we require curing. (rhetorical)

"Curebie": Basically term used to describe a minority group within the ASD population which believes that autism is a serious disease a person is afflicted with which should/must be cured, ie removed somehow from the person, while somehow leaving the person otherwise intact and fully complete, so that they can function in solely normative ways and be fully assimilated into the neuronormative planet, as fully qualified team members in 'normal' society etc without any residual taint of autism at all.

The opposite to those who do not want a cure, perhaps we could call them as a group the holistic humanists, (the hollies?! !) who recognise ASD status as a difference which is intrinsic and cannot be separated from the being of the individual, some of whom (many perhaps) find the proposal of cure repugnant on all levels - philosophically, personally, and every level in between.