The last note dies away. After a moment of devout silence applause hesitantly sets in. A minute later the air burned.

Slow-motion: The clapping had been going on for a while when one of the spectators couldn’t stay in his seat any longer. He jumped up exited. His companion was embarrassed until, after an eternity, a few rows ahead someone else stood up to also show her excitement in a standing position. Shortly after her more followed. Now no one could stay seated. Like a wave the audience raised out of their seats. The hall celebrated the artists with a standing ovation.

Change of scene:

It was already dusky and for the time of the year too foggy when the aircraft touched down on the landing strip. Everything proceeded smoothly. With the classic charm of the no-frills airline the staff had disappeared. A gangway attached to the exit where the usual traffic jam had already developed. Drowsily the passengers climbed down the stairs and gathered at the mark for the shuttle bus. When after 20 minutes still no bus had arrived and in addition to the fog there was now a dead spot, one of travellers distanced himself from the group and started walking energetically. Before he disappeared in the fog a second one grabbed his suitcase and followed him. Now the group became lively. No one stayed.

What do we deduce from this?

Not the first but the second triggers the mass impulse. Test it out yourselves by pointing at the sky in a busy space. As long as you’re alone, you will be smiled at with pity. If an accomplice joins in you will soon have interesting conversations.

What can we learn from this?

 You can stage trends. Assuming some in your group smoke. If now, for example, someone was to plan to quit smoking but didn’t know if he could do it, mockery is inevitable. But one can use a trick and turn it into an exciting experiment. A single person who tags along is enough. He has to join in on your at first ridiculed announcement to quit smoking. Nothing more.

You can bet on how many will follow your example.