In order to detour into the field all they had to do was turn into the field. Leaping over the rock was a wholly unnecessary complication. It was a lesson for me in the psychology of animal conformity. Everyone is aware that there is a psychology of human conformity. People are easily led.
People follow without thinking.
The utter mindlessness of it all is deadening. He repeats himself in a hundred different contexts. Our Lord's call to follow him is a call to throw off the sheep-mentality, throw off social dependency, throw off thoughtless conformity. His call is a summons, a command. It's a command.