Why I hate Groupthink

Have you ever been in a conversation and you just know whatever your friends, family or coworkers are saying is 100% wrong? Have you ever challenged them on it? Nine times out of ten you haven't because you didn't want to seem different. Welcome to Groupthink, population of WAY TOO FREAKIN' MANY. I mentioned my hatred of groupthink in my opening post. Before we dive in deeper on my hatred of groupthink I'll drop this quote of Thomas Watson, Jr:

Thinking things through is hard work and sometimes seems safer to follow the crowd. That blind adherence to such group thinking is, in the long run, far more dangerous than independently thinking things through.

Why do I hate groupthink? Did it piss in my Cheerios, did it steal my girlfriend, did it spoiler next week's episode of Game of Thrones because it's an asshole that doesn't want me to be happy? No to all of those but it does have a devastating effect on all of us. That effect is simple, it causes us to stop being creative. Have you ever asked why a task is done this way and you get the stock response "Well, we've always done it this way." Of course you have, then you probably whisper some expletive under your breath and sigh at the stupidity you've encountered yet again.

Better yet, what happens when you propose a solution to a boring, drawn out task that radically simplifies the issue? People are usually shocked. They start to think of you as some kind of genius. They ask for autographs, they want you to kiss their baby, they build bronze freakin' statues in your name. Ok maybe none of those things really happen but they do think of you as some higher conscious being that's capable of great thought.

Don't limit yourself to basic, everyday conventional wisdom. You'll be buried into an oblivion of nothingness and lack of creativity. Don't stifle your creativity, continue challenging the conventional wisdom. It's the only way we Millenials can start impacting the change we want to see in the world. Let's continue challenging the conventional wisdom and live in a world we envision, not one laid out for us from previous generations. 

I'll be posting every week on Tuesdays. In my next post, I'll be sharing a few major topics that I'm definitely against the grain on. You'll want to stay tuned for that post!

Please feel free to share these posts and also to comment below.I look forward to hearing from you!

Introduction

In The Diary of Soren, Soren Kierkgaard challenges the notion of conformity. He knows how damaging it can be. My favorite quote of his on this subject follows:

I will call the attention of the crowd to their own ruination. And if they don’t want to see it willingly, I shall make them see it by fair means or foul. Please understand me — or, at least, do not misunderstand me. I do not intend to beat them… I will force them to beat me. Thus I actually compel them. For if they begin to beat me, they will probably pay attention; and if they kill me, they most definitely will pay attention, and I shall have won an absolute victory.

-     Soren Kierkegaard

This blog is going to push us out of our comfort zones. We're going to be implementing unpopular opinions, early in our careers to help our growth. We'll achieve growth by not shying away from challenging the status quo. This is where we are going to find creative solutions to problems that have long bothered the "sheeple". These problems have reared their ugly, little freakin' heads because of the biggest problem society creates: Groupthink. 

Don't accept something simply because it's a societal norm, particularly if you don't believe it. Question it, question it until you're uncomfortable, then question it until the person challenging your position has to question their own stance. Be better than Groupthink, be better than the freakin' "sheeple".