"Blind-following"

Many brothers love using this term and fire it away at every opportunity, without ever understanding it's true implication and meaning.

There are many people who are blind in society but yet manage by taking guidance from and holding the hand of those who are blessed with sight.
It is not so bad being blind as this can't be helped but it is severely trajic to be blind and think you are not, and then behave and live like someone with vision and eyes.

If a blind person wants to cross the road , he would normally ask for assistance from someone who can see,and hence cross the road safely. But if he tries to pretend that he can see and take matters in his own hands, he will certainly get hurt or even killed. Or even worse try to gain assistance from someone who is also blind like himself. This way they will both get hurt or even killed.
This is exactly the same with those who are not mujtahids but pretend and behave as though they are.
Allah has commanded us in the Quran,
يايها الذين أمنوا أطيعوا لله و أطيعوا الرسول و أولي الأمر منكم
"Oh those who believe ! Obey Allah and obey his messenger and those with authority amongst you." ( Uloolil Amri minkum)....Surah Al-nisa verse 59.

Uloolil Amri implies people with political authority and religious authority I.e scholars, and not just ordinary scholars but those blessed with the ability to make "istinbaat" and ijtehaad.(Surah al-Nisa verse 83). Such honourable people are referred to as "MUJTAHIDS". When a mujtahid makes ijtehaad in an issue which needs ijtehaad, then if he is right Allah grants him two rewards, and even if he is wrong Allah still grants him a reward. ( Bukhari )

So people who follow mujtahids do so because Allah has commanded so in the Quran hence are obeying Allah. While those who are not mujtahids and try to make ijtehaad are disobeying Allah because Allah has stated in the Quran ,
فاسألوا اهل الذكر ان كنتم لا تعلمون
"Ask the people of knowledge , if you don't know."( chapt 16 verse 43 ).

So people who are not mujtahids and try to derive their own rulings from Quran and hadeeth are like blind people trying to cross the road at their own peril , while a "muqallid", follower of a mujtahid might be like a blind man but someone who is holding the hand of a man blessed with vision and deep insight in matters of deen so with Allah's mercy is surely likely to cross the road safely.