Clap When I Tell You To

A few weeks ago I was standing minding my own business on the coast where I live watching the high tide gently lapping over the road when the peace was broken by a middle aged woman.
"Everybody this young man has just run a hundred miles for charity, give him a round of applause" at which point a lad looking to be in his early 20s appeared in running kit looking as though he had just walked out the changing room before doing any exercise.
As told people started clapping him but I stopped myself. How do I know he has done anything for charity, he had just appeared and this woman had shouted at everyone. He certainly had not run 100 miles that day, maybe he had run a mile a day once a week for 2 years, and anyway who is she to tell us to clap.
But we do it don't we, like trained seals we clap as soon as told to, "Ladies and gentlemen put your hand together" "lets have a great big round of applause for" " Didn't they do a lovely job lets give them all big clap".
How often have you stopped yourself and thought hold on, what is this I don't even like them why would I want to clap. We don't do we , we just follow the seal and clap because we are told.