by Steve Rees, Ret. RN, Harpist
Victims of Groupthink
With so much science being ignored and so much political pressure being exerted, I have been pondering how we have come to the situation we find ourselves in. People who used to be friends no longer talk to each other. Eminent doctors and scientists are being censored and threatened with their positions if they say what they believe to be true, yet doesn’t follow the “official dogma” of the day.
Mandates are being issued that are effectively setting up a medical apartheid that divides people into two classes: the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Privileges are granted to the vaccinated and restrictions are leveled against the unvaccinated.
There seems to be a psychological phenomenon in action that is taking over the minds of a majority of the population, which reminds me of my college classes that studied about “Groupthink.” Irving Janis defined it in 1972, in his book titled “Groupthink,” as “a phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. In many cases, people will set aside their own personal beliefs or adopt the opinion of the rest of the group.”
There are signs of Groupthink as described by Kendra Cherry in an article:
1) Illusions of unanimity lead members to believe that everyone is in agreement and feels the same way. It is often much more difficult to speak out when it seems that everyone else in the group is on the same page.
2) Unquestioned beliefs lead members to ignore possible moral problems and not consider the consequences of individual and group actions.
3) Rationalizing prevents members from reconsidering their beliefs and causes them to ignore warning signs.
4) Stereotyping leads members of the in-group to ignore or even demonize out-group members who may oppose or challenge the group's ideas. This causes members of the group to ignore important ideas or information.
5) Self-censorship causes people who might have doubts to hide their fears or misgivings. Rather than sharing what they know, people remain quiet and assume that the group must know best.
6) "Mindguards" act as self-appointed censors to hide problematic information from the group. Rather than sharing important information, they keep quiet or actively prevent sharing.
7) Illusions of invulnerability lead members of the group to be overly optimistic and engage in risk-taking. When no one speaks out or voices an alternative opinion, it causes people to believe that the group must be right.
8) Direct pressure to conform is often placed on members who pose questions, and those who question the group are often seen as disloyal or traitorous.