I would say that we rather tend to accept the options and ideas from others. If not totally we take over the core points of their meanings. You could even see this from the historical point of view, every thing what happened in the past came back in present or future. A lot of political views and behaviors are well known from the past and you can see and read it in the news nearly every day. Also from the economic point of view, you can see that ideas are always the same. We just had the biggest economic crisis since the 1930s. We know why amd how the actual crisis occurs, but now after the big wave of economic slow down, managers are doing the same business like before. But why is it so? Are people so silly and cannot learn? I think everything has to do with how we grow up. The first influence and learning factor is the family and friendship because it shows us how to deal in a group of people. Then, the second point is the education in the school done by the teachers and later maybe at the university. There you learn how to deal with authorities. The final point is the so called real life in the business and political life.
Family/Parents/Friends
The first steps in your life are done within this group of people. Normally, it is these people who prepare you for the rest of your life. Here, everyone shows you how the behavior in groups is functioning. So you learn at the beginning of your life that it is easier to 'survive' if you are doing the things what they expect from you. Not to find new ways how to eat your meal brings you less troubles with your parents than to eat for example like your dog. Not to say what you really think makes you more acceptable within the group of your friends. Then, you can have more of them instead of making your mind always public.
School/Teacher/University
The second step in your life is the education. Here, you learn something about languages, maths, art, etc. As it is relatively normal that each school year ends with...