How does an audience collectively decide the applause is over?

Question

I think most people figure they’ll clap until the applause dies down. But if everyone were to think like that we would clap forever. How does the audience hive mind, for lack of a better term, stop the applause?

In: Other

Answer 1

When one person claps, they wake up the Clapping Monster, who compels everyone else to clap. When the Clapping Monster falls asleep again, people just kinda lose interest. It’s a really sleepy monster.