Herd instinct comes from pre-sentient periods and it was very useful, since there was no one person or group sentient enough to scheme to their own advantage against the non-sentient.

As with all theories of achieving some form of idealised state, the same rules shatter our dreams: Where there is even one person who wants to lord it over others, there can only be a weakening of mankind when we try to achieve an Utopia.

Success does not come from achieving Utopia (becoming a herd, in many ways), it comes from trying to achieve Utopia, but always pulling back before we achieve it and re-starting our search for perfection.

I believe that for mankind to achieve its potential as a specie, each member of the specie must also achieve their own potential. Any we drop on the way, not only are not going to achieve their potential, but so are we blocking (and failing) ourselves.