Posted on 04/28/2018 1:01:28 PM PDT by Eddie01
I am going to share a discovery with you that explains everything the left says and does.
First, let me introduce you to Irving Lester Janis (26 May 1918 - 15 November 1990).
He was a research psychologist at Yale University and a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
He is most famous for his theory of “groupthink” which described the systematic errors made by groups when taking collective decisions.
So what Eddie? Groupthink is a tired slur that gets tossed around, make this quick or I’m outta here.
Wait! Groupthink is much more than a word.
REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/groupthink Groupthink is a type of thought within a deeply cohesive in-group whose members try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas.
Mr. Janis studied a number of American Foreign policy ‘disasters’ such as failure to anticipate the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (1941); the Bay of Pigs fiasco (1961) when the US administration sought to overthrow Cuban Government of Fidel Castro; and the prosecution of the Vietnam War (1964-67) by President Lyndon Johnson.
Studying these events, it was the cohesive nature of these important committees which made these decisions and which prevented contradictory views being expressed. As defined by Janis, “A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action”.
Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group.
During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group. Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the group’s balance.
To make groupthink testable, Janis devised eight symptoms indicative of groupthink (1977).
1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.
2. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group’s assumptions.
3. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.
4. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, disfigured, impotent, or stupid.
5. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of “disloyalty”.
6. Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
7. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.
8. Mind guards — self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.
While Janis’ research provided behaviors to avoid during decision making, he unwittingly uncovered the most effective way to manipulate and control opinion.
The power mad and constitution hating left embraced and institutionalized those behaviors throughout their political machinery.
The MSM was assigned the role of mind guard. The front of objective journalism was established with phony awards like the Pulitzer to promote the myth of journalistic integrity. There are no journalists on the left, just pitchmen.
When you call a leftist stupid for what they say, like Biden or Krugmen or whoever, realize they know exactly what they are saying and doing. They are following the groupthink template and taking advantage of those who put way too much emphasis on group affiliation by nature or coercion.
Hanging on the wall of every leftist leader is the following:
Eight Commandments of the Liberal Left recast from Irving Janis (Yale) groupthink behaviors:
I Thou shalt create an illusion of invulnerability shared by most members to foster excessive optimism and encourage extreme risks taking
II Thou shall not allow any member to question the group’s inherent morality, instead members shall be encouraged to ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions
III Thou shalt promote collective efforts to rationalize in order to discount warnings, or other information that might lead members to reconsider their assumptions before they recommit themselves to their assumptions
IV Thou shalt reinforce stereotyped views of enemy leaders as too evil to warrant genuine attempts to negotiate, or as too weak and stupid to counter whatever risky attempts are made to defeat their purpose
V Thou shalt self-censor any deviation from the apparent group consensus, inclining each member to minimize the importance of their doubts and counterarguments
VI Thou shalt create and maintain a shared illusion of unanimity concerning judgement conforming to the majority view
VII Thou shalt apply direct pressure on any member who expresses strong arguments against any of the group’s stereotypes, illusions, or commitments, making clear that this type of dissent is contrary to what is expected of all loyal members
VIII Thou shalt appoint mind guards to protect the group from adverse information that might shatter their shared complacency about the effectiveness and morality of their decisions.
Eddie01 circa ‘98
As a fun exercise, think of any maddening leftist comment and see how many of the above apply.
Everything the left does, every strategy they devise, has it's foundation in the above.
Ed D
For what it's worth...
Nicely stated.
Too bad it also describes the GOP.
All the left but not all the GOP, but sadly... some/many
Good analysis. It applies quite well.
It clearly does not apply to conservatives at present, where there is great dissension and numerous points of view.
The Democratic Party, Scientology, the Moonies, Jim Jones’ fools, etc, etc - all cults. Sheeple need shepherds and herding dogs. Reminds me of that Far Side cartoon of the sheep all standing around at a party and one saying “Thank God!” - as a collie shows up at the door.
I'd argue some "sheeple" are preconditioned independent thinkers looking for a way to break free.
Excellent post.
Ayn Rand called groupthink social metaphysics. Social metaphysicians consider the opinions of the group to be reality.
bookmark
What the hell does social metaphysics even mean?
Metaphysics: is a branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental questions, including the nature of concepts like being, existence, and reality. It has two branches – cosmology and ontology. Traditional metaphysics seeks to answer, in a "suitably abstract and fully general manner", the questions...
For God's sake man, make an intelligent point.
the liberal lexicon http://www.freerepublic.com/~atomicpunk/
the liberal lexicon http://www.freerepublic.com/~atomicpunk/
“Striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action”. Common sense.
Plato, Republic: prisoners are stuck in chains and cannot move their heads. What are the chains? Read Plato, Republic.
Narcissism: people are stuck in self-esteem boosters and cannot relate to the less fortunate. What is the cure? Read Plato about Integrity.
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‘Nuff said. Thanks.
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