But on his way out of the village the mob surrounded him and attacked him. Only in the mob do we have the conditions for violence to be contagious. Someone in the mob accuses the victim. In an instant, the accusation spreads through the mob and violence is unleashed. Now the myths are validated.
People start to move to the bush for safety.
This reinforces the truth of the myths, and soon a new reality emerges. This is the true nature of violence in the 21st century. These so-called differences are the myths that obscure the underlying causes. And worse, they ensure the violence will continue as the elimination of difference is justified by them. Thus ethnic cleansing became a rational and, for many in the Balkans, a reasonable and appropriate response to the violence.