From the course: Asserting Yourself, an Empowered Choice
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Bandwagon bias: Why dissent is difficult
From the course: Asserting Yourself, an Empowered Choice
Bandwagon bias: Why dissent is difficult
- Why is being assertive so difficult anyway? Why does it feel so risky to dare to disagree, to claim our rights, and to speak up? Well, let's face it, it can be hard to swim upstream. Entrepreneur Maurice Strong once said that "Inertia is a powerful force "in human and political affairs." Much like in physics, a decision, discussion, or direction that's already set in motion remains in motion unless an equal and opposite force is applied. Being assertive can feel like applying that equal and opposite force all on your own. There's a term for what going up against this pressure feels like, and social scientists call it bandwagon bias. When we're in a room full of people who agree that a certain strategy or idea is a good one, we're naturally inclined to go along with it. When we're part of a hiring panel who believes a candidate is qualified, we're tempted to look past any concerns we might have had and just green-light…
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