No

reason is a desire to belong—or conversely, a fear of being different and of inviting ridicule or punishment.

The majority has the ability to bend reality.

There are certainly benefits to being liked and to belonging, and there are certainly risks associated with dissent. What is often not reported is that belonging has a price—our agreement. Paying this price often leads to unreflective thinking, bad decisions, and reduced creativity, not to mention boredom, vulnerability, and deadened affect. Have you ever wanted to scream when everyone was pandering and praising each other and no one would talk about the elephant in the room? For example, have you wanted to yell, “Are we crazy to hire this guy?” or, “Should we really be making this merger?”

dissent stimulates thought that is more divergent and less biased

dissent has value, even when it is not correct.

when we find ourselves in a minority we think we must be wrong. Additionally, we are afraid of the ridicule or rejection that are likely to come from dissenting. We hesitate. We put our heads down. We are silent. Not speaking up, however, has consequences. If the individual does not speak up, the group suffers and misses opportunities. Worse, a group compelled to make quick judgments while operating from only one perspective can make very bad decisions. Some are fatal.

dissent broadens our thinking.

4 CONSENSUS NARROWS THINKING—AND KILLS RATIONALITY

Being persuasive when you start from being alone, or one of “the few,” takes more than consistency, and it takes more than conviction—though both are essential.