Quote Originally Posted by The Dunster View Post
Group think is why a lot of people share the same opinions.
In short it's about people wanting to belong to a group so they adopt an opinion or ideology simply because it makes them part of the group more so than because the opinion is valid scientifically / empirically.
To stay a part of the group they accept the groups views regardless of what the evidence suggests. Then it becomes a case of defending the groups views from outsiders.
Economics, politics, science, religion... practically anything we care to name usually has a group think component to it. Sometimes it's a dominant ideology at others it's a new dichotomy from the main group looking to break away.
People that are free thinkers tend not to become part of the dominant ideology.
I would class very few, if any people with University Degrees as free thinkers - in fact the first thing they do at University is disable the part of your brain that allows you to think for yourself. You either follow the ruling ideologies prescription or you fail - simple as that.

yeah but group think can come from many different sources too, not just the education system. man I've got mates that work in heavily unionised industries and all they do is read the Newcastle Herald and hang out with their own and i find their views on life fascinating, and at complete odds with mine.

same goes for fervent viewers of Fox News, John Laws fans etc etc. Everywhere you look, everyone has an angle. I just wished everyone took a little bit from everywhere and tried to create their own view.

Maybe nf.net should be required reading for all school kids?

Someone doing 3 unit "Biraz v BK" at school would be amazing.