Inoculate Yourself Against Social Contagion
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In May, I visited the Portuguese village of Fatima, which is famous for its 1917 apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Today, it is a major shrine and a pilgrimage destination for millions of Catholics from all over the world, as well as for tourists interested in witnessing the phenomenon of a mass religious experience. Every night of the year, after the sun sets, thousands of people—each holding a lighted candle—proceed slowly around the shrine complex, singing prayers of praise and supplication.
Although I am a practicing Catholic, I am not much one for big group activities or movements, so I was hesitant to join the procession. Nevertheless, I did so on my first night in Fatima. I expected that I would observe the ritual with a social scientist’s gimlet eye. Instead, I found myself swept up and
