Groupthink

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Definition: the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility.

Workgroups must invariably make decisions. Groupthink occurs when group members fail to notice that they are out of touch with reality when making a decision and then make a decision that reflects their reality.

The group has created a box out of which they cannot think clearly. Historically, the Bay of Pigs fiasco (the invasion of Cuba to overthrow Castro in the early 1960's) is often quoted as a historical example of groupthink.

Groupthink happens in most groups. The groups tend to eliminate those who do not think according to the group and promote those who do think according to the group.

Here are a few examples of group-think.

That is, a new method comes along that is vastly superior to the old method, but takes a while to become accepted.

The first to try to get the new methods adopted are ofter "persecuted", "court-martialed", "burned at the stake", etc.

In the middle ages, canons were invented.

They were usually dispersed with the infantry in hopes of helping them with the fight.

Napoleon realized he could concentrate artillery in separate units, move them around using separate commanders, blast holes through the enemy line, and win battle after battle.

Since Napoleon was in charge, he took some criticism, but did mostly what he wanted to do.

In World War I, the armies were stuck in costly trench warfare due to rifle and machine gun technology.

The tank allowed breakthroughs through the trench lines to help end World War I.

They were then dispersed with the infantry in hopes of helping them with the fight.

German general Heinz Guderian, between the world wars, and influenced from many others, worked to concentrate tanks as separate units to blast holes through the enemy lines - much the same idea as Napoleon had used. This changed warfare again.

In a group that thinks in a similar manner, one must be careful about voicing an opinion that is contrary to the group opinion.

Voicing an opinion that is not the group opinion risks suffering the anger of the group.

Walter Lippman: When all think alike, then no one is thinking.

Partial quote: Great minds think alike.

Full quote: Great minds think alike, fools seldom differ.

These quotes are often attributed to ancient Greece, but appear to have been invented in the early 17th century.

Conditional probability observation:

great minds think alike

those that think alike have great minds

The legend or fairy tale about the "Emperor with no clothes", by the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson, is about how a group of people pretend to see what they are supposed to see, but a simple child notices and remarks about the obviousness to which that group of people had become "willingly ignorant".

False prophets tell the King/Boss what the King/Boss wants to hear.

2 Peter 3:5

All

KJV: For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Greek: λανθανει γαρ αυτους τουτο θελοντας οτι ουρανοι ησαν εκπαλαι και γη εξ υδατος και δι υδατος συνεστωσα τω του θεου λογω

2 Peter 3:7

All

KJV: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Greek: οι δε νυν ουρανοι και η γη αυτου τω αυτω λογω τεθησαυρισμενοι εισιν πυρι τηρουμενοι εις ημεραν κρισεως και απωλειας των ασεβων ανθρωπων

Here are some examples of groups that may evidence groupthink.

news media
professors at institutions of higher learning
almost any group - look and see

Take a look at any religious (e.g., Christian) group.

Notice the vision of the leadership and how this vision and example trickles down to the lowest level.

To move up in the hierarchy, one must visibly and vocally espouse the proper trait. Soon, the entire organization starts to become homogeneous.

(West Point observation while a cadet)

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