Social judgment · Conformity Bias · Entry 147
Groupthink – when harmony matters more than the right decision
Did everyone in your team agree on a bad idea without questioning it? That’s Groupthink – the tendency to sacrifice critical thinking for group unity and harmony.
Where it can show up
- Business & management – projects fail because no one dares to challenge a bad idea.
- Politics & leadership – catastrophic decisions happen when leaders aren’t questioned.
- Social groups – people go along with the majority even when they know it’s wrong.
A practical countermeasure
- Encourage dissent – criticism helps prevent collective mistakes.
- Seek alternative opinions – if everyone thinks alike, it’s a warning sign.
- Look outside the group – an outsider’s perspective can reveal blind spots.