Sometimes
I've heard people affirm that they are free thinkers. They eschew,
for example, church organizational structure as a cesspool of
“groupthink”. Group think being defined as:
Groupthink
is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people,
in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in
an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome. Group members try to
minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical
evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints, and by isolating
themselves from outside influences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink
The
ultimate defense against groupthink is sometimes taken to be radical
individualism. A favorite example presented by individualistic
thinkers is Galileo when in conflict with the church. The
“independent mind” is highly valued above all else including any
claims of any groups.
Saint
Paul wrote that: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a
yoke of slavery” (Galations 5:1 NIV). But he also wrote when
characterizing proper behavior on the part of slaves that we are to
be: “slaves of Christ” (Ephesians 6:6 NIV).
[Catch-22:
“A situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible
to attain because of a set of inherently illogical rules or
conditions” http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Catch-22.]
The Catch-22 in groupthink analysis is that one can easily become the
victim of individualistic groupthink—within an “isolated group”
of only one. That is, when one only consults his own thoughts and
opinions, then all the negatives of groupthink can become operational
within ones one's own skull—a overarching desire for harmony of
internal thoughts and a slavery to one's own ideas in which internal
conformity is ruthlessly applied. Thus internal conflict is
minimized sometimes at the expense of critical evaluation of
alternative ideas and viewpoint. Here an isolation of the self is as
equally harmful as any isolated conformity experienced in groupthink.
The
principles of the church and its disciplines of love are no more
guarantors of integrity anymore than the the principles of
objectivity underlying the scientific method. The human element is
always present no matter what and it carries with it tendencies
towards bald rationalization and selfish pride.
Institutions
can be tools to clarify thought and reality. So can the “tool”
of carefully considered individualism. But neither one is worth a
damn without a persistent element of humility.
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