Charlan Nemeth

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.

'Punchy... it could transform millions of meetings, doing away with all those mushy , consensus-driven hours wasted by people too scared of disagreement.' - Wall Street Journal 'Beautifully written and important.' - Adam Alter, bestselling author of Irresistible and Drunk Tank Pink We've decided by consensus that consensus is good. In this essential book, 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. We can make better decisions by embracing dissent: it 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. By studying these examples and bringing a little trouble-maker spirit to our own lives, we can radically change the way we think, listen, and make decisions. 'A timely tome on the perils of silence and the value of voice.' - Adam Grant, bestselling author of Originals