Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Group Think

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 3 Jul 2011, at 9:59 PM, Joanie Connors wrote:

> While groupthink can be totally benign and pleasant, fear is still
> connected to it in 2 ways.

This discussion of "group think" is remaining strange. There is NO suggestion 
that group think is benign or pleasant. Every.

Group think as Janis defined it — and it is his concept — is when a group fails 
to see that their views are not balanced or true. They are based in their own 
feel-good situation which may have no relation to larger reality. The danger of 
a group feeling great togetherness and shared values is that they fail to see 
that their decisions are flawed. They are  looking though rose-tinted glasses.

Group think is a danger not when there is intimidation but when there is so 
much desire to be one, to be happy, to share a world view.

Intimidation, fear, etc., is us used to manipulate people in groups too, but 
the concept of group think is pointing out the danger on the other side, the 
we-are-so-wonderful-of-course-we-are-right side.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org