Sort of in response to Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” video
I received my first (of very few) A’s studying Group Think in 2005. It was my first year at UVA in a “Social Psychology” course, back when I thought I wanted that coveted M.D. To this day I couldn’t really explain why that one class had me so geeked that I fooled myself into picking Psychology as a major when I clearly hated every subsequent Psych class I enrolled in, but that is neither here nor there. For clarity, I changed my major in my 3rd year to Music and kept it moving (also tried to squeeze in a Studio Art minor but alas there just wasn’t enough time left). I believe I was excited to learn about concepts such as “group think” because they discuss issues that have an intimate affect on our lives (whether you want to study them or not). Understanding these concepts could help us succeed, fall short of success or completely alter our definition of success. The definition of success or progress in particular is important to getfitCEO because GROUP THINK can and might always be in direct conflict with the getfitCEO journey.
Group Think: basically when a group creates a “consensus” or “general agreement” in their way of thinking that abhors alternative opinions in fear that those who oppose (“dissenters”) will profoundly disrupt the equilibrium of the group.
The extraordinary thing about this phenomenon is that it seemingly has no boundaries. Chivalry? Tradition? Fashion? Music? Culture? ALL these “concrete” ideas have traits of Group Think because we fail to attempt to keep redefining them. We have come to a “general agreement” (often unspoken) on what IS and IS NOT acceptable. Consequently, group think tells us to hold our tongue, rationalize our thoughts, censor our words, ostracize the minority, protect the majority and earnestly believe that the current definitions are beyond reproach, reprisal and/or revision.
I think Erykah Badu is evoking a cultural reproach with her video as she strips away her clothing and subsequently becomes a dissenter of the social norm that is: WE wear clothes on a sunny day in the park, regardless of how nice the weather is. (ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS). She is metaphorically shot down by Group Think only to reveal that she bleeds group think herself.
What about Group THINK vs getfitCEO?
So where does that leave us? What are we supposed to do? Strip down and feel awkward that we’ve left it all hanging out? No. I don’t think that Erykah’s ACT was the point but merely an example of the issue at hand.
We all want to break free from (some of) the bonds of Group Think whether or not we consciously realize it. However, we must be able to sift through the venomous and benevolent properties that go with sharing a thought or concept amongst individuals who form the group. For me and the getfitCEO journey I believe it is important to understand that Group Think should be neither a battle nor a dictatorship. There are certain periods in life (& business) where the GROUP destiny will outweigh one’s INDIVIDUAL triumphs. What I mean is that there will be times that I will have to put my immediate goals on the back burner in order to build a community. Acts that may not benefit my professional or personal progress but might mean a lot to others (community service, visiting a friends premier for a fledgling company, etc). This is vital to the getfitCEO journey because that communal nourishment help’s to establish your individual integrity. Dissenting “Group Think” by being that person who ALWAYS must go against the grain, abhors everything “popular” and wears his/her heart on their shoulder is not a power move, it is a suicide mission. We must realize when to fly solo dolo and when to hop on the bandwagon for the ride. I have more to say on this topic and I hope that thus far my musings have not been in any way presumptuous or overtly ambivalent.
Erykah Badu has reported created her video to open up discussion on GROUP THINK….getfitCEO says: “LET THE DISCUSSION BEGIN”
Hit me @MrCAnderson (twitter) or ChristopherAnderson06@gmail.com if you’d like to chat about this. I’m down. Get Fit.
An interestingly titled article from CBS news: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20001356-504083.html
HER NEW ALBUM CAN BE FOUND AT: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/new-amerykah-pt-2-return-ankh/id361856072
