Aug 13, 2026
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Why do good people walk past someone in trouble, storm a building, or stay silent when they know something is wrong? In this episode, I sit down with Jane Myers, a leadership and group-dynamics specialist, to explore the psychology of groupthink - why our “cave brain” still pulls us into the tribe, how the amygdala keeps us safe (and sometimes traps us), and why social media has quietly become the most powerful group most of us have ever joined.
Jane Myers is a leadership and management specialist, professional coach and facilitator, and the founder of Jane Myers Associates. She works with groups and teams on performance, communication and group dynamics, with a particular interest in neurodiversity and helping people build the self-awareness to thrive. Known for her warmth and sharp psychological insight, Jane is passionate about teaching people of all ages the skill of “noticing”.
Expect to Learn:
Why groupthink is hard-wired into our “cave brain” - and why we
never evolved out of it
How the amygdala keeps us safe, and how the frontal lobe talks it
back down
What the Central Park bystander experiment reveals about crowds and
danger
Why the reward of belonging can make us ignore obvious risks
How groups develop a personality of their own - and who really
shapes it
Why social media may be recreating groupthink through your feed
How “frictionless” living removes the pause the brain needs to
check in
The skill of “noticing” - and why we should be teaching it to our
children
How to find the courage to step away from a group and think for
yourself
Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:
[00:00] - The courage to think differently when everything pulls us
into groups
[02:00] - Our cave brain: safety, the tribe and the amygdala
[04:00] - The Central Park experiment: why crowds walk away from
danger
[06:00] - Cost and reward: how the brain talks itself into risky
groups
[08:00] - Protests, Capitol Hill and being swept along by a
crowd
[10:00] - Can a group have a personality of its own?
[13:00] - The cold-water swimming group and its unspoken rules
[17:00] - Could a group be steered somewhere it never meant to
go?
[21:00] - Watching group dynamics, from Big Brother to the
networking room
[23:00] - Is social media recreating groupthink through our
feeds?
[31:00] - The courage to work out who’s really doing your
thinking
[32:00] - The skill of noticing: checking in and how a group serves
you
[36:00] - Frictionless living and losing the pause that keeps us
safe
[43:00] - Social media, young people and teaching a new “noticing”
skill
[48:00] - Three takeaways and the better questions to ask
yourself
Follow the Guest Jane Myers:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janemyerswhitehorn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemyers1/
Website: https://www.janemyers.co.uk/
Follow the Host Vicki Wusche:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickiwusche/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VickiWusche
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicki_wusche/
Listening Links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/VickiWusche
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/a-wealthy-life/id1617293196
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13lVRTAioD5mR4XUiylAk8
#Groupthink #Psychology #SocialMedia #ThinkForYourself #AWealthyLife