Screw the group. Think for yourself.

Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone agreed with an idea, even though it didn't feel right?

Or, you hesitated to speak out for the truth, fearing you will disturb the group's harmony?

These are examples of groupthink. It is a psychological phenomenon where people aim for consensus in a group. And this happens when there's pressure to make the "right" decision.

But why should you know about this?

1. Better decision making.

   When groupthink happens, good decision making goes out of the door. Throughout history we have examples of disasters because of this.

The worst part is, they were avoidable if people put the truth above all else.

Three well known examples are :

• The Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. The engineers knew about faulty parts and voiced their concerns. But the people in charge proceeded with the launch to avoid bad press.

• The Bay of pigs invasion. President Kennedy made a decision, the people around him became "Yes men". It was a total fiasco.

• The Enron Scandal. Management ignored whistleblowers as not being "team players". The company went bankrupt.

2. To be an original thinker.

   There has never been more information available to us at any point in history. This is both a blessing and a curse. Those who learn to be original thinkers will thrive in this world.

3. Because life is too short to make all the mistakes ourselves.

   The wise learn from books & history. Mental models, frameworks and cognitive biases are the best way to learn as they’re applicable across all areas of life.

Psychologist Irving Janis pioneered research on Groupthink. According to him, these are the symptoms.

So, watch out, when you see them around you.

How to avoid groupthink in your life?

1. Slow down.

   We take ~35,000 decisions / day. While not all are equal, you should stop when there's a major decision. e.g.

   • Is this the right time in my life to buy a house?

   • Am I on the right career path?

2. Use frameworks.

   • Six Thinking hats.

     I've written more about it here.

   • Play the devil's advocate.

     Ask your girlfriend / team member to challenge the assumptions and Consensus.

   • Red teaming.

     Select a group of people to act as the enemy. Their job is to seek and exploit flaws in proposed plans.

   • Critical thinking.

     I’ve written about it more here.

3. Challenge assumptions.

   • Don’t be swept away by the dominant narrative. Pause and evaluate the decision & it’s underlying assumptions. Critical thinking is a great framework for this.

4. Seek expert input.

   While in doubt, reach out. e.g. when considering a career change to the next “hot” industry, speak to someone who actually works there. The grass may not always greener on the other side.

Some trivia.

In George Orwell's novel 1984, he popularized many new terms. One of them was "doublethink". It is the ability to believe two opposing ideas at the same time. In the novel, the party uses it to control the citizens & manipulate their thoughts.

Inspired by it, William Whyte Jr. coined the word "groupthink".

I hope this interesting concept helps you in your personal & professional life. Share this with someone who will benefit.

Further reading

• The psychology of groupthink and the desperate, dangerous desire for social acceptance.

• Avoiding groupthink.