The next problem is a bit subtle, but
it's actually something that causes a lot of damage in teams.
Which is when people kind of miss perceive what everyone else in the group thinks.
And they start to feel like they're a deviant in the group, when in fact
everyone privately agrees with them, but for some reason, nobody talks.
>> Yeah. >> And so, everybody has misgivings or
questions, but they withhold them because they think they're the only one.
And so, we're going to talk about why that happens, and how that's so
damaging for creativity.
Right, group supply, conformity pressure, and
blind obedience, these are always a block in the exchange of perspectives but
they can also make people feel alone and deviant.
So I'll give you an example that illustrates this.
Social psychologist in the 1930s
once traveled to a Puritan Community to study norms around drinking and gambling.
And he asked about the norm, and at least in public, everyone
insisted that drinking and gambling was something that was frowned upon, and
that no one would succumb to such evil vices, right?
So the community was staunchly against drinking and
gambling because they were a good, obedient, Puritan Community.
But privately, our fun loving psychologist spent each evening
with a different family, in their homes, drinking and gambling.
And the curious thing is that each family insisted that they were the exceptions.
We're the only ones who would do such a thing, so please don't tell anyone.
And what was happening was that these families actually misperceived the true
norm, they weren't deviant, in fact, they were exactly like everyone else.
Everyone was hanging out in the privacy of their own homes in drinking and gambling.
So sometimes we think we're deviant for holding a different perspective and so
we remain silent.
And the silence allows misunderstandings to continue unchecked.
Right, so the story about Puritans drinking and gambling rampantly in
the privacy of their own homes- >> [LAUGH]
>> It's an interesting story but
really, it's really pointing to a broader phenomenon that happens
in all kinds of different contexts.
And the question is, why does this happen?
>> Why do people remain silent?
Why do people not realize what everyone else thinks?
>> Yeah, so one reason is that often the norm can be reinforced by a really small
minority of people who have a lot of status or a lot of power and
they kind of force their view over everybody else but
people privately don't really agree with it.
>> Yeah. >> But they're reluctant to speak out.
>> Yeah, I had an example of that from a student in one of my classes.
>> Yeah.
>> He's telling me a story, his father was a chair of the board.
>> Yeah. >> And
for whatever reason had to miss a board meeting.
>> Yeah. >> So somebody gets up and says,
we all believe it's time for a new board chairman and we're going to vote on that.
Are you with us?
>> Yeah, right.
[LAUGH] >> And
three people got everyone else to vote to replace the board chair, right?
And it was only three people, but
everyone figured, they're not getting up there unless they got everyone, right?
>> Yeah, and so there's an element of conformity, which we've talked about, but
there's also the sense of, I really believe that because no-one
else is speaking out, >> Exactly.
>> That everyone else is on board, and I'm just this sort of outlier.
>> I'm the lone deviant.
>> Yeah, so I better just be quiet.
But, in fact, everybody privately has the same misgivings you do,
and it's hard to get out of that, right?
>> Yeah, I thought that you thought, that okay.
>> Right, yeah, so another example is something called conservative lag, which
is just that maybe the norms were accurate at some distant point in the past but
things change but people fail to update their understanding of what the norm is.
>> [LAUGH] >> And so at time one you're accurate at
time two you're wildly inaccurate but nobody knows, right?
So we haven't updated.
>> That's sad, middle age for you.
>> [LAUGH] >> I'm still young.
>> You still think you can lift that?
>> I can do anything.
Yeah. >> But it's also also out.
So take a little in, right?
>> Yeah. >> So anyway,
it had bit of reputation for having a good time.
>> [LAUGH] >> Right.
>> And irrespective of whether we actually do to the same level that we used to,
>> Yeah.
>> Perform that way, we probably still have the reputation.
>> Right.
