Are We Done Fighting? by Matthew Legge

Author:Matthew Legge
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781771422970
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Published: 2019-03-09T16:00:00+00:00

Tips from This Chapter

1. Thinking about who benefits can offer us new insights into why a problem persists. At the same time, we regularly support and justify systems that don’t benefit us, and we engage in behaviors that have no possibility of ever benefitting us. Part of this may be wanting to believe that our world is fair and so the status quo is good. Part of it is rationalizing whatever will keep us in the group.

2. In every group some ideas are mainstream and others are still present, but marginalized. Our group identities, the expectations we believe groups have about us, and what the group considers mainstream, all have some randomness behind them and may not be that beneficial to anyone. In any situation there are people who disagree with what’s happening but go along with it anyway. Most of us will agree with decisions we know are wrong if everyone else seems to be agreeing. If even one other person doesn’t conform though, we’re much more likely to express our actual views.

3. We regularly underestimate our influence, thinking that others won’t listen to us or will resent us for speaking up.

4. Groupthink can lead to terrible decisions. When we’re in leadership positions, we can listen to others before offering our own opinions. In any group, we can assign people to propose alternatives and bring up pitfalls with group decisions. Diverse groups are more creative and effective, in part because of a broader range of perspectives and in part because we think more carefully about our own and others’ ideas when we know we’ll have to defend what we say to someone who thinks differently.

5. Change needs to be made as easy as possible. If individuals or groups are expected to give up some power-over, it will be easiest if they’re treated well and encouraged for their positive change. If we hope to bring out the best in others and to build power-with, gloating isn’t strategic.

6. Even if we feel we’re benefitting, a situation may not be genuinely fulfilling and there could be win-win ways to transform it.

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