In Defense of Troublemakers: The Power of Dissent in Life and Business

by Charlan Jeanne Nemeth

Overview

An eminent psychologist explains why dissent should be cherished, not feared

We've decided by consensus that consensus is good. In In Defense of Troublemakers, psychologist Charlan Nemeth argues that this principle is completely wrong: left unchallenged, the majority opinion is often biased, unoriginal, or false. It leads planes and markets to crash, causes juries to convict innocent people, and can quite literally make people think blue is green. In the name of comity, we embrace stupidity. We can make better decisions by embracing dissent. Dissent forces us to question the status quo, consider more information, and engage in creative decision-making.

From Twelve Angry Men to Edward Snowden, lone objectors who make people question their assumptions bring groups far closer to truth — regardless of whether they are right or wrong. Essential reading for anyone who works in groups, In Defense of Troublemakers will radically change the way you think, listen, and make decisions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780465096299
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	03/20/2018
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Charlan Nemeth is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in San Francisco.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction: Fear Consensus, Love Dissent 1

Part I Majorities Versus Troublemakers: The Art of Persuasion 21

1 Numbers Rule 23

2 Even One Dissenter Makes a Difference 39

3 Dissent as an Art in Changing Hearts and Minds 51

Part II Consensus Versus Dissent: Closed Minds Versus Open Minds 79

4 Consensus Narrows Thinking-And Kills Rationality 81

5 Dissent Diversifies-And Strengthens Thinking 105

Part III Groupthink Versus Groups of Thinkers 135

6 Group Decisions: Often in Error, Never in Doubt 139

7 Better Decisions: Dissent, Diversity, and Devil's Advocates 163

8 Conclusions 197

Notes 215

Index 243

Editorial Reviews

"There are many such useful ideas in Charlan Nemeth's In Defense of Troublemakers, her study of dissent in life and the workplace. But if this one alone takes hold, it could transform millions of meetings, doing away with all those mushy, consensus-driven hours wasted by people too scared of disagreement or power to speak truth to gibberish."—Wall Street Journal

"Nemeth makes her research accessible in a lucid and at times beautifully written form."—Success

"In this enlightening and empowering read, psychologist Charlan Nemeth makes a case for dissent in business, in culture, and in everyday life."—Bustle.com

"A provocative work that will appeal to broad general audiences as well as avid readers of business and life success how-to."—Library Journal

"Good ammunition for contrarians and well-grounded in scholarly research."—Kirkus Reviews

"In clear and earnest prose, she shares her evidence, logic, and insights for fostering genuine and productive discussion that can yield useful and original solutions and discoveries."—CHOICE

"Charlan Nemeth personifies minority influence; there is no person on the planet better scientifically qualified to write a book on the dynamics of dissent."—Philip Tetlock, Leonore AnnenbergUniversity Professor of Psychology and Management at the University ofPennsylvania and author of Superforecasting

"Charlan Nemeth has written the definitive account of dissent and how it affects thinking. This remarkably insightful, grounded, and accessible treatment could not be more important or more timely."—Karl E. Weick, co-author of Managing the Unexpected

"This book will fundamentally change your mindset in how to manage a crisis and should be required reading for all MBA programs."—Jennifer Johnson, President and COO at Franklin Templeton Investments

"A timely tome on the perils of silence and the value of voice. Charlan Nemeth is one of the world's leading experts on making decisions and influencing others, and she presents a career's worth of evidence on why the views you don't want to consider are often the ones you need to hear most."—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take, and Option B (with Sheryl Sandberg)

"A beautifully written and important book that deserves to be read by the docile and disobedient alike. Crowds are sometimes wise, but Charlan Nemeth shows how, when, and why listening to the majority is dangerous, and why disagreement is often an engine of innovation, persuasion, and error correction."—Adam Alter, bestselling author of Irresistible and Drunk Tank Pink

"A lucid, practical guide to fostering smarter teams, companies, and societies. Charlan Nemeth demonstrates the power of nonconformists in raising the quality of our group decisions."—William Poundstone, authorof AreYou Smart Enough to Work at Google?

"Insightful, easy to read and full of examples... In this illuminating book, Charlan Nemeth demonstrates how dissent improves decision-making. This is a book every manager and board member should read."—Professor Saadi Lahlou, Chair in Social Psychology, London School of Economics

From the Publisher

2018-01-11
Just say no: an examination of how the naysayers in the audience can help individuals and organizations make better decisions.In our lives and work, most of us go along to get along, admonished by adages about rocking the boat and getting hammered down if imitating a nail. But, urges psychologist Nemeth (Psychology/Univ. of California), that's not the best approach. "We benefit," she writes, "when there are dissenting views that are authentically held and that are expressed over time." One of her cases in point is the movie Twelve Angry Men, with Henry Fonda as a juror who refuses to give in to the will of the majority to convict. The movie is used in the psychology classroom as a prime example of how a person with conviction can sway doubters, and it "demonstrates the art of influence, which includes timing, an observation of subtle cues from others, and knowing when to talk and when to listen." Another case in point is the example of the devil's advocate, appointed in the Catholic hierarchy to say, "yeah, but" when a person is considered for sainthood. By implication, every organization might do well to shake off the cobwebs and have someone throw up doubt whenever a major decision is being discussed. Even the Supreme Court values dissent, writes Nemeth, since it "has been found to increase what is called the integrative complexity of the Court's decisions"—i.e., dissent forces an examination of all sides of an issue and the trade-offs involved in making one choice over another. Unanimity, in that view, is bad. Not much of the book centers on the workaday business world, where being a reliable spoilsport can get a person not valued but removed. However, with the necessary adjustments, it's easy to see that this largely academic argument could be made accessible for laypersons.Good ammunition for contrarians and well grounded in scholarly research.

Kirkus Reviews