Groupthink
“Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another.”
Proverbs 27:17, NRSV
Psychologist Irving Janis advanced the study of group decision-making in the last quarter of the 20th century. Credited with helping the term “groupthink” become a part of the English lexicon, Janis used the word to focus on the biases inherent in group decisions where there is a desire for action, agreement and conformity. Too often, members of a group seeking collective support or consensus set aside their own beliefs or opinions as the means to retain their position within a group or maintain group harmony.
A frequent critique of social and modern media is that it leads us to surround ourselves with only those who think and act like us. Some believe “groupthink” could apply to social media usage. One of the issues with “groupthink” is that different and even opposing views are shut down for no other reason than they are not the group’s. This limits creativity as well as personal responsibility.
When thinking about the influence of all varieties of media these days, I was reminded of our next-door neighbor in my childhood who subscribed to both the Houston Post and the Houston Chronicle. I asked him once why he bought two papers for the news of the same city, being too young to know that one periodical was considered “liberal” and the other “conservative.” He told me reading both papers gave him different viewpoints and forced him to figure out what his own opinion was on a subject and why.
“Iron sharpens iron,” the Proverb tells us. Is it a warning? Or is it an encouragement to engage in respectful debate with the hope of learning more about our conversation partner as well as stretch our own view on a subject? Sparks can fly as “iron sharpens iron” when exchanges take place…and possibly greater mutual understanding and creative problem-solving could also be achieved.
