"A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when members' strivings for unanimity override ther motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." -Irving Janis
Above is the definition of the concept of Groupthink, coined by Irving Janis, a forefather in the study of group dynamics. Groupthink is a situation in which people in a team or group have absolute loyalty to each other, think that they have no weaknesses or bad points, have cookie-cutter mentalities and ultimately, are oblivious to what is real, with an illusion of unanimity. It is a 'disease' that spreads when the norms for conforming in a group become so strong, and members are highly concerned about maintaining unity, that they fail to evaluate and their options and make wise decisions.
Cults are a very good example of Groupthink. They suck people into joining them, and alter their beliefs and perceptions to fit that of their group.
The above are pictures of The Ku Klux Klan, a racist, anti-Semitic movement with a commitment to extreme violence to achieve its goals of racial segregation and white supremacy.
Here are three reasons why cults such as the KKK are the perfect example of Groupthink.
1. Illusion of Invulnerability. A majority of people consider, or even join cults for one main reason, and that is to have a sense of belonging; to feel safe and accepted in the group. Because the members are so desperate to belong and be a part of the cult, it an unstoppable force, and nothing can get in it's way. Group members are dillusioned into thinking that whatever they do is right, and they have faith in the group, never doubting or faltering in their beliefs of the group's supremacy.
2. Belief in Inherent Morality. Cult members never doubt what their leaders tell them. They completely trust and believe whatever their cult leader says. They think that everything their leaders to or say is correct, so in trusting them, everything they themselves do is moral and just. They believe strongly that they know what is wrong or right, and never doubt their thoughts or actions.
3. Collective Rationalization. The entire cult worships the leader, and thus will follow exactly what their leader said, never doubting his words or actions. This will in turn lead to the belief that their leaders are always right. Everything they do, the group will try to explain and rationalise their actions as a group, so whatever is thought to be incorrect or wrong will be dismissed, as the group refuses to see things from different perspectives.
7 comments:
at first glance, i thought the word groupthink had positive connotations to it, kinda like the name suggests, thinking as a group. only when i read the definition did i realise its a negative situation.
Although i've never heard of groupthink or it's symptoms, i can relate to the 3 points that you used to link to cults. they can be related to many real life group situations as well!
groupthink is a situation that people can very easily fall into, hence we should all be wary and always keep tabs on the situation, before it gets out of hand.
i think the war bush declared on iraq is a very good example of groupthink. despite all the disasterous concequences and critism it has garnered, the government still seems to think that they are right.
i think the key point about this groupthink situation is mind control. people use their powers of persuasion and instill certain values and ways of thinking in group members, slowly twisting their views and opnions to agree with whatever they are trying to preach. mind control might seem like a very extreme word to use, but i think the cause of groupthink realy boils down to this.
i too am not familar with this term groupthink, but the symptoms of it are definately things i myself, and i'm sure alot of other people can relate to.
everyone can become victims of this 'disease' if we are not careful, so much has to be done and monitored when working in a group, because we can see from this article that the outcomes of groupthink are quite disasterous!
interesting article you wrote.. and i think i can suggest another such groupthink event to back up your definition!
recently it appeared in the news that a group (cult) of russians went into hiding in a cave because they thought the world was going to end. As told by their leader. they brought food and drink into their cave but obviously as time passed, their source of life ran out and 1 by 1 they started to die of starvation, dehydration and also disease. only then, when the smell of rotting bodies, breeding grounds for indfectious disease, got too unbearable did these people evacuate from the cave.
so although this may not seem like such an extravagant case as the KKK's groupthink, i think it falls well into the category of something like that!
mostly situations accredited to groupthink happen when people are afraid to voice out their opinions because they dont want to look foolish, or want to avoid embarassing or angering other members of the group. if only people are more self assured, comfortable and have good working relations with other people in their group, they wouldn't have to worry about the concequences of their constructive criticism or when they voice out their opinions. afterall, don't they always teach us to speak up and contribute in school?
Post a Comment