What is the point of cliques?

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I noticed someone posted a message about how to deal with cliques. Well, I have a question.

What is the point of cliques? Can't we just call them nice groups of people instead?

A group may or may not be nice. But my observation was the cliques you see in movies about high schools were not based on my highschool. The movies use extreme stereotypical examples. Most the perception people have of cliques is likely false anyway. The members within a clique may feel as uneasy about their relationship in the clique as a person who is not in the clique feels.

I find the idea of cliques pathetic, but then I suppose it is part of human behaviour to form them.

Speaking of cliques...

I'm sure those of you who hail from small towns or have lived in small towns (10,000 people or less) will notice those places are the ones that tend to be cliquish.

I did my high school in a small mining town of about 10,000 and could neither comprehend nor ever be part of the local clique, and by that, I mean that large part of the population that seemed to have acceptance amongst each other as individuals and seemed to go along as one collective entity.

Most of my years in that little town were spent as an eccentric loner who was widely hated by the townspeople just for being different. I no longer live in that town and I don't intend to go there for any reason in the forseeable future.

My verdict about cliques? They are pointless.

I might be the one you're referencing to as to who asked about how to deal with cliques. Papillon might have hit a point on why I am experiencing it so much. I go to a small college with only about 1300 students. I come from a big city but now I'm in a small college in a small town, where I'm stuck for the next 3 and 1/2 years.

My experience is that its a "power in numbers" type deal. Grab a bunch of people who all think the same and gang up on those who do not. Cliques can be as small as a few people or as a large as a 'nation' itself. Cliques offer 'reassurance' to your thoughts which can be satisfying. I know that if people agree with me, I feel better about my beliefs then if I was the only one with it. Then again, I've always been a loner so it wouldn't stop me...

I'd argue America/Canada/etc. (nationalities) are cliques in themselves at the global level. Religion, same deal. I think a problem with 'cliques' is that you are so concerned with others relating to you, you may lose your individuality

I'll never be a part of one outside of 'my own'

I've observed a remarkable fault in NT teenagers over the years: intense fear of the unknown. I believe the "clique-ing" process stems from a deep phobia of meeting people and knowing absolutely nothing about them. So, their minds train themselves to subconsciously categorize everyone they encounter into stereotype groups based on immediately observable traits. This tricks the NT into believing they know the person they are encountering, thus staving off the fear of the unknown.

If you are a teenager, you can try the following experiment: go to a place highly populated with NT teens who do not know you. Dress as plainly as you possibly can and try to start a conversation with a random teen, preferably a "cliquey" looking one. Give very general, broad answers to all questions, especially those concerning music. As long as you don't look like or say anything that is associated with any known clique, the person will most likely grow very frightened and upset. I've done this three times at the mall before and each time the NT teen looked at me like I was a leper after their brain repeatedly failed to categorize me. I do not know why they fear unusual people so much, but my experiments have proven that a large portion of them definitely do. Try it some time, it's great fun!

Cliques... well also churches or religion are cliques of a kind. They want to belong somewhere necessarily and adapt to their cliques. NTs love cliques, even though they are all the same. they call themselves 'gothics' or they all share a predilection for che-guevara t-shirts and they feel save. They wouldn't be able to survive the life of a loner.