Why Humans Follow Herd Behaviour — From Iceland to Dubai to “Finding Yourself”
What This Article Is About
Why do people in completely different cultures end up behaving so similarly?
From Icelandic cold plunges to Dubai rooftop brunches and Texas “independence,” this blog explores the strange truth about herd behaviour, identity, and the invisible social boxes we often mistake for personality.
Because sometimes what feels like freedom… is just a different herd with better lighting.
by Rúna Magnúsdóttir, Leadership Coach, Keynote Speaker & Founder of Beyond Boxes Index
Why Humans Follow Herd Behaviour — From Iceland to Dubai to “Finding Yourself”
Icelanders Love Talking About Herd Behaviour …just like everybody else.
I was reading an interview with an Icelandic woman who had moved to Texas.
And of course, the classic line came up:
“It’s so nice to be away from the herd mentality in Iceland.”
Which is, by the way, a very Icelandic thing to say.
We Icelanders love talking about how other Icelanders are such sheep.
Yebb… even while we all stand in line for the exact same sourdough bread.
Icelandic heard behaviour in 2026
Iceland Is Basically One Small High School Reunion
And to be fair… it’s true.
One day, nobody cares about cold plunges- literally, it’s seen as being crazy behaviour.
Two weeks later:
everyone seems to be sitting in freezing water,
carrying a tote bag that says “GUSU CERTIFIED,”
talking about their nervous system,
and posting Instagram stories saying:
“Highly recommend this for your nervous system regulation.”
We are a nation fully capable of collectively deciding to:
run marathons,
buy an Airfryer,
learn Italian,
or suddenly discover we all have ADHD.
And we do ALL of that within the same month.
Then I Started Thinking…
OK, there is a pattern here.
This woman moved to Texas.
Texas.
Isn’t that a place where everyone is supposed to be independent?
In exactly the same way.
- Same pickup truck.
- Same “faith-family-freedom.”
- Same coffee mug.
- Same kitchen island.
The Texan Heard Behaviour
And my friend in Dubai?
She can obviously see Icelandic herd behaviour very clearly too.
Which is understandable.
It’s hard not to notice herd behaviour in Iceland when 40 people show up wearing the same beige wool coat and carrying the same water bottle.
But Dubai is obviously just another herd.
Just a more expensive one.
Same Herd. Better Lighting.
In Dubai, everyone seems to be:
optimising themselves,
networking,
manifesting,
taking photos of the same sunset,
and saying:
“I just love the freedom here.”
The Dubai Heard Behaviour
Yes.
Freedom.
At the same rooftop place as everyone else.
The funny thing is that people often think they’ve escaped the box…
…when in reality they’ve just entered a new box with better lighting and prettier fonts.
Maybe Our Personality Isn’t As Original As We Think
It’s slightly creepy when you really start thinking about it.
How much of us is actually just:
culture,
atmosphere,
trends,
the room,
and whatever behaviour gets rewarded around us?
Because when everybody around you behaves the same way…
…it stops looking like herd behaviour.
It starts looking like:
“This is just who I am.”
And honestly?
Leaders are probably even more vulnerable to this than anyone else.
Because once a certain behaviour gets rewarded by the room…
…it very quickly starts to feel like personality rather than adaptation.
Maybe Awareness Is Freedom
Because honestly, I don’t think the goal is to completely escape herd behaviour.
That would probably end with someone moving into the woods and following a minimalist YouTuber teaching people how to live “outside the system.”
Which is also a herd - when I think of it.
The more I ponder on this… the more I’ve come to see that freedom is more that moment when you suddenly realise:
“Ahhh… this is the box my environment rewards.”
Because the moment you see the box…
…you can start choosing a little more consciously.
Or at the very least understand why you’re standing half-naked in freezing water at 6:12 on a Wednesday morning holding celery juice and a brand-new identity.
Reykjavík, June 6th 2026
Rúna Magnúsdóttir (aka Runa Magnus) is a global keynote speaker, leadership coach, and creator of Beyond Boxes Index™ — a Leadership Energy Intelligence diagnostic exploring how culture, pressure, and unconscious social “boxes” shape the way we lead, behave, and see ourselves.
FAQ
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Herd behaviour is when people unconsciously adopt the attitudes, habits, or decisions of the group around them — often without realising how much they are being influenced.
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Humans are social creatures. We naturally adapt to whatever behaviour brings belonging, safety, approval, or status within our environment.
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Not at all. Herd behaviour exists everywhere — in corporations, political groups, wellness culture, luxury culture, social media, and even communities built around “individuality.”
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Leaders are often rewarded for fitting into the culture around them. Over time, repeated behaviours can start feeling like an authentic personality instead of an adaptation to the environment.
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Probably not completely. But awareness changes everything. The moment you recognise the “box” your environment rewards, you gain more freedom to choose consciously rather than automatically follow the group.
Personal branding, leadership and development books by Rúna Magnús
Beyond Gender: The New Rules of Leadership - GRAB COPY HERE!
The Story of Boxes, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - GRAB YOUR COPY HERE!
Branding Your X-Factor - GRAB YOUR COPY HERE!