stoicism — Writing Things

For the love of conflict

How to reframe interpersonal disagreements for better outcomes

I hate conflict. My natural inclination has always been to hesitate a little too long before addressing an issue, or to rationalise to myself that a confrontation would be unproductive… you know, this time around.

(Maybe next time.)

This philosophy, particularly early in my career, proved very convenient for avoiding direct conversations. Layer on my inherent need to be liked, and it’s meant that over the years I’ve had to resist these instincts to become more assertive. The instincts never leave, though.

When I ask others to raise a hand if they have a fear or dislike of conflict, I am usually met with a sea of hands. And this fear makes sense, because welcoming any kind of conflict will bring with it an invitation for instability and a potential recalibration of interpersonal dynamics.

Groupthink: When People in Groups Make Irrational Decisions

Groupthink occurs when social conformity in a group leads to irrational decision-making or beliefs.

Janis describes it as “the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive ingroup that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.”

He goes on to say, “…the term refers to a deterioration in mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgments as a result of group pressures”.

Janis argues that groupthink drove the failure to anticipate Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor despite the various warning signs. Intelligence lost contact with Japanese aircraft carriers, but Admiral H. E. Kimmel and his post didn’t even suspect that they could be the next target.

Human Behaviour, PhilosophySonia DiabOctober 5, 2020groupthink, philosophy, stoicism, decision making

Reinvention and The Function of Humankind

“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.” - Marcus Aurelius

All these weeks into a global pandemic and the pot of life is simmering with feelings of excitement and hope. On one end, because it seems we finally have a chokehold on the virus for the moment – in Australia at least. The world seems to be getting its bearings, no longer unprepared for challenges ahead. And on the other end, because there is so much innovation and opportunity calling out to us, drawing us in like the smell of freshly baked banana bread.