Haiku: GROUPTHINK
“The larger the group, the more toxic, the more of your beauty as an individual you have to surrender for the sake of group thought.” George Carlin, Last Words
Haiku: GROUPTHINK – Conformity can be toxic
Haiku: GROUPTHINK – Like an army of conformist ants
Jane:
A conversation…
between old friends, John and Jane
A discourse of sorts…
John:
GROUPTHINK, what is it?
Conformity that excludes
Beliefs that persist…
When Groupthink rules us
Like ants on wicked warpaths
Restrictions prevail
While being in a group can have benefits, groupthink that is exclusionary is toxic. It limits, controls and eliminates any form of individuality and discriminatory practices run amok. Where do you see this in society?
“The tribe often thinks the visionary has turned his back on them. When, in fact, the visionary has simply turned his face to the future.” Ray Davis
Haiku: GROUPTHINK – Like migrating lemmings
John:
Concurrence-seeking
Discriminatory acts
In-groups and Out-groups
Jane:
Migrating Lemmings
In a moronic death match
For the “good of all”
For this exercise, I have your proverbial John and Jane tell us what it means and what it can look like. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in groupthink. Would you rather have others dictate what you should think without reflection?
More Below!
“We are not supposed to all be the same, feel the same, think the same, and believe the same. The key to continued expansion of our Universe lies in diversity, not in conformity and coercion. Conventionality is the death of creation.” Anthon St. Maarten
Haiku: GROUPTHINK – Like a tampered game of dice
Jane:
Competition lost
Comprehension minimized
Like tampered dice games
John:
If we think the same
Creativity will die
Diverse views muted
We live in a world were some thrive on this way of being. They can live that way but it’s not for me. What about you?
This post was inspired by a WordPress Daily Prompt: GroupThink -Write a post that includes dialogue between two people — other than you. (For more of a challenge, try three or more people.)
Positive Motivation Tip: Conformity is death. Freedom from groupthink is key.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos From my Personal Collection and/or Ants, Cats, Groups of people, Lemmings, Dice via Wikipedia
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Wow! These photos. They are awesome. Love all the birds and the dice. Very cool!
I’ve never been one for group think. i’m way too independent.
I disagree. Conformity is not death if it is centered around the truth. Individual creativity is great as long as it doesn’t distort the truth.
Tami, look at the definition of group think. Conformity is only valid when it allows freedom of thought. Rigid rules to conform are just …. rigid. And what is the truth?
I guess I lie somewhere in the middle with conformity. I like fitting in but not at the cost of losing myself.
I agree with Jeanie, the photos the you took are amazing.
It is sad that their are so many groups of people who are just angry about everything. We were just talking about it on Friday. I told my husband that people are so angry because they are missing God in their life. Without grace and forgivness, our hearts go back to their evil ways.
Interesting observation… Thank you for your feedback Christy!
I consider myself a creative so I can’t see way of conforming with group think.
Stay creative! 🙂
I have been breaking away for ‘groupthink’ more and more each year and I feel wonderful. I have inner peace with myself and it is truly refreshing.
Ditto with Liz Mays, I like to fit in, but I won’t allow to lose myself. Your pictures are amazing.
Groupthink can be downright dangerous. I’ve never cared for it, nor conforming so much to a crowd that it becomes inevitable. It is always important to separate your views from other people’s and look inside to truly develop your own point of view.
Exactly!
Sometimes conformity is not avoidable but I always make a conscious choice to not conform especially if it’s going to be against my will. I’m not exactly a group think kind of person. I’ve always been independent and I will tell others what I think especially if it’s something that needs to be heard. Sometimes it’s difficult to have a preference that’s different from everyone else but nothing wrong with that.
Groups work if everyone is headed to the same direction.
Groups work if freedom of expression is encouraged and people comply because they are Free to do so, NOT forced to do so.
I think if people would work together like an army of ants, the world will be a much better place to live in.
Working together is great, thinking the same isn’t; especially if the groupthink is discriminatory
I fully agree with you on groupthink. That would be hard to achieve.
This is totally an awesome post and it is truly inspirational. I totally love how you used this dice as an example which fits it to a tee. I have to agree that we can all be in the same think group or pooll. Thanks so much for sharing.
Recently, I was at a conference where the speaker (Bill Clinton) urged all of us to follow trend lines and not headlines. His belief was that the news was so biased and now so false that the only truth was in numbers. Freud also stated that there is greater diversity of thought within groups than between them and that it is group think that masks that diversity. I think once individual voices become lost and a collective group voice speaks for the good of all that we are swimming in dangerous waters.
Well sadi… We need to protect the individual perspective and have folks speak their truth…
Groupthink is so dangerous. In college, I remember studying the groupthink response to crime in big cities. We all assume someone else will address it, and then no one speaks up. Scary!
The Baltimore mom is the anti-groupthink. 🙂
I’m with you too! 🙂
I love the quote in this post. I also think this could be applied to some of what is going on in the world today
True… and dangerously so.
Love the photos. The conformist ants are something else. Humans should learn their community spirit.
True!
I love all the photos. I have never been one for group thinking. I always just go with what my heart says.
I’m a very independent person, so I don’t think that group think would be for me. But if it fits your personality, go for it 🙂
groupthink, there will be so many ideas to come and resolutions to do. Working together is somewhat we should do in order to have a better result.
I feel like I’m in the middle. I don’t necessarily conform but I’m not way out of the box either.
Thanks for this thought-provoking post.
I wouldn’t want to be lost in the throng. I’d love to keep self-preservation and I would not want to lose my individuality just so I would fit in. I will end up miserable!
I guess that I have always liked working in a group but I think it is important to be individual too. If you are having to give up your creativity or your ideas to stay in a group then that is not a good thing.
how creative of you to put these words together….I always expresses my own opinion.
We’ve always been warned about groupthink in the business world. It always stifles creativity and individuality.
I am at times a reserved person and group think is something I really wanted to do once in a while.
George carlin is my favorite comedian of all time. He always had wise words on just about every subject There is.
I love the statement about conformity. Like it or not, it does challenge you to think. Does conformity equal death? Or does conformity give people who aren’t individualistic by nature (because some people just aren’t… Myself included at times) a chance to come together to brainstorm something that gives birth to something unique and distinctive? I think there’s merits to conformity for those who’re not of the disposition to be individuals and/or need that group support… But I think there’s freedom for those who’re independent free thinkers in ditching conformity. Thanks for the prompt on this otherwise dull evening! – Jerusha,
Thank you for taking the time to mull it over…
That group mentality can be so dangerous! I love the pics you included in this post!
You pose an interesting thought about everyone thinking the same. Variety truly is the spice of life, but it is pretty amazing what a group can do (like those gross yet mighty ants) when they work together.
I don’t think I could keep up with this group – but I love the idea of writing poetry to kep the mind sharp
I’m sure you will do well…
I like all your combined poetry – I’m not very good at poetry but always encourage my children to write it
I’m in the middle on this too – sometimes conformity and group think is appropriate but other times it’s important to be independent.
This deserves to be spread around the world. Group mentality is a huge thing in mother nature.
As always your pictures are amazing to view. I think I lie somewhere in the middle.
Not going to lie, those ants were a bit terrifying… but I’m all for group thinking!
My opinions often go against the grain, even though some think I agree. I keep my opinion to myself as to not rock the boat.
Very interesting approach April. 🙂
I think that I am too independent for groupthink. It is a really interesting concept, though, and there are good points to conforming as well.
I have been really good about going my own way. I tend to be a bit of a rebel and not want to do what people expect of me.
Gorgeous photos! I always teach my children to be individuals and not sheep, not to worry what others think and do. And then of course to the exact opposite and try and confirm myself! Whoops!
I’m not a group person but I see how being part of a group can get more done. Although it is important to keep your own identity even in the middle of a large group.
This is good food for thought. It’s always nice to live an independent life!
Love the poem. I was just studying ants outside with my 3 year old the other day.
I think it’s important to have individuality. I try not to be too different, but I don’t want to be ‘too the same’ either, if that makes any sense at all. I do find very different people fascinating though. I admire that kind of bold confidence.
I really love how you worded everything, I am not so eloquent about my writing but you have done a wonderful job. The picture of the dice is my favorite.
Group thinking would contribute a lot of resolutions or ideas. It would give you a broad understanding of some certain predicaments or proposals. However if there is no unity and not on the same page sometimes it brings chaos to the group.
It’s good for people to have different opinions and not always think the same …
Those dices looks colorful indeed and what a beautiful shot.
They are quite lovely. I agree.
I don’t believe in groupthink. Each of us is unique, and being such, we should all be allowed to express our honest opinions, do what we feel we should do, and have faith in the things that we believe in.
A very timely haiku for my mom. She and her organization is in the conformity level. I’ll share this to her.