In 1972 , a social psychologist named Irving L. Janis coined the term “groupthink” to refer to a psychological phenomenon in which people set aside their personal beliefs in order to reach a group consensus. Those who disagree often remain silent, choosing to keep the peace instead of rocking the boat. The overriding desire for either harmony or conformity (or both) leads to irrational decision-making — and a dysfunctional outcome.
The leaders of such groups tend to believe themselves invulnerable and thus become risk takers under the guise of optimism. They encourage their followers not to question their beliefs and therefore avoid any moral dilemmas that may arise because of the group’s actions.
The members of such groups begin to rationalize their own thoughts and behaviors, engage in stereotyping to justify their actions, and those who may come to doubt often censor themselves rather than risking losing their identification with the group. Those who do speak out are silenced or removed. Those who choose to stay are pressured to conform.
I will leave it up to each of you to see whether this mindset rings any bells in our current world.
What I am going to share is an alternative.
That alternative is we hink.
Because here’s the bottom line:
Groupthink is fear-based propaganda
Wethink is heart-centered practice.
As I always say” In every thought, belief, decision, action, we choose between fear and Love. If our thoughts, decisions, beliefs and actions are fear-based, we gravitate either toward the supposed safety of groupthink or me first.
Why? Because if we are afraid that we are going to lose our group or individual freedoms, if we are afraid that we have been or are going to be treated unfairly, if we are afraid that we are misunderstood or maligned or have been ignored by those who could help us, we need to assuage our fear by finding others who are like-minded or by finding a stronger sense of self.
Or so we believe.
I think if you read that description, you can see that this kind of fear-based thinking could apply to every single group on the planet . . .
When we choose fear, we perpetuate fear. And fear divides. Fear engenders hate. Fear begets more fear.
Wethink, on the other hand, is Love-based and heart-centered.
It takes as its basis that we are One. And therefore that there is no other.
That we are held in Love and live in Love and supplied by Love and thus all rooted and grounded in Love.
When we trust that each of us is One in Love, then we know that if we lean into the Love, we find the commonality between us is Love. And then we love ourselves and each other and our planet whole.
Although we know this is possible — we see it in nature, we see it in our history books, we see it in our communities and even in commerce . . . and most of us have experienced this at least once in our own lives — it can seem impossible in times like this to believe that simply starting from the basis of we as One in Love is anything more than a lovely fairy tale.
But it is not only possible, it is imperative. If we don’t choose Love as our basis and see one another as one in Love, we are always going to be able to justify being afraid. And from the place of justified fear, we all know what happens. It’s what is happening all around us right now.
However. . .
If I see myself as one with you in Love, then I know we share common ground.
If I see you as one with me in Love, then I know we are both the loved of Love.
If every choice I make is made with the goal of the best possible outcome for we instead of me, then I have to turn my thoughts, beliefs, decisions and actions over to Love — or I’m not choosing we. Only Love can guide a we-first choice.
Groupthink is fear-based. Wethink is Love-based.
Groupthink is me first. Wethink is we first.
But the truth of the matter is that wethink isn’t actually even thinking at all. It is heart-centered practice. It is listening to, leaning into, learning from and being led by Love.
And it is the only thing that can shift our world out of millennia of fear-based groupthink.
That’s why we have to practice it — every single day. In everything we do.
No more me first.
Only we only.
This is how we choose the Love that heals.
And keep choosing it. Until choosing Love becomes as basic as breathing — and in that way finally ensure that the right to breathe can never be taken away from anyone. Because we breathe in Love.