Groupthink psychology definition
According to investopedia.com, groupthink psychology is “a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people.”
Can a group of people approach problems objectively?
Last night I had a somewhat philosophical debate with my 13-year-old daughter.
We discussed objectivity.
I personally tire of any philosophy that claims objectivity is easy and entirely possible.
My daughter told me I shouldn’t be so existential like her.
We were trying to figure out whether we should live our lives by feeling or logic.
I don’t understand the psychology of people who believe you can separate feelings from logic to make better decisions.
I don’t personally believe it is possible to logically think through a problem without involving feelings.
Our conversation digressed.
How does groupthink relate to objectivity and feelings?
She explained that one of the “servers” or chat rooms she created would frequently get a “dissenter”… someone who is disrespectful, doesn’t follow the rules and has clear disregard for saying the “right things.”
A dissenter attempts to stand outside of “groupthink.”
She said, “Weird thing is, those people who seem to go along so strongly with the “theme” and “PC” protocol of the chatroom will often chat with me to the side and dissent from the groupthink “norm” in a one-on-one conversation with me.”
Groupthink Bias
I explained to her that this is the way it is in the #professional world too.
As a part of a team, we all swarm in the direction of a certain moral or way of thinking.
We give up our right to dissent or else get pegged as a “bad” person who wants to upset the apple cart just for the sake of causing a ruckus.
In this example, we are neither being objective or admitting our true feelings about the subject at hand. We are operating with a groupthink psychology.
Of course, we keep our “feelings” inside so that we don’t hurt the feelings of the group.
We feel overwhelmed with the possibility that we may get fired if we dissent. Ironically, it’s also possible that we get fired if unable to form our own opinion.
So, how can we “be ourselves” in a world that’s become so complex, politically correct, or “woke” as some say?
Is groupthink a viable way of “keeping the peace?”
My daughter suggested I stop thinking about objectivity, feelings, and groupthink, and just live my life.
I said, “You mean dock myself and empty the contents until it’s time to go back out and vacuum the rest of the house?”
Trust me, I’d love to sit on the couch all day and eat the proverbial bon-bons of brotherhood.
But I have to learn to live fluidly within different constructs so I can achieve my desired outcome. I need to learn how to balance feelings, objectivity, and the opinions of others with my own.
My question is this, how do you live in this woke world respectfully with others, and maintain your individuality?
How do you form and express your opinion without ticking people off because you’ve managed to be politically incorrect?
LoveLifeLinks.com believes that love forms its opinion with respect, without fear of retribution.
Remember, you can feel love anywhere. All the time. Anytime.
