Groupthink Follies

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky ( bio - articles - email ) | Apr 08, 2025

Many might remember the term groupthink from George Orwell’s chilling book 1984. In its benign form, groupthink describes the cohesion of a culture with a common heritage, shared values, and compatible ethnic mixes. In its malignant form, groupthink is a form of political correctness demanding unyielding conformity to precepts of thought and behavior. Pope John Paul II’s term, "solidarity of sin," describes malicious groupthink.

Cultures have many forms of benign groupthink. The male necktie convention is an emblem of mutual respect. Husbands, before you criticize your wife's wardrobe, take a good look at your necktie collection. Most men avoid polyester neckties and choose silk (astute groupthinkers notice counterfeits). Inside clerical baseball: As with the secular world, priests with those plastic tab collars are of a different caste than those who dress for clerical success. Groupthink has many harmless absurdities.

Benign groupthink is necessary for a functioning society. We come to work, receive our assignments, know little of the overall picture of the outfit we work for, and put in our eight hours of work. Occasionally—perhaps as we climb the ladder within an organization—we glimpse the organization's motives and missions. Even then, our patterns form our thinking. We’re “in the groove” of organizational groupthink. It’s not necessarily bad.

We also have dangerous forms of groupthink. Assemble all the sound bites—clichés—that form our understanding of the great issues of the day: war and peace, the economy, vaccines, and the pressing cultural questions. It’s not difficult to identify the phrases (e.g., “the adults in the room”) that shut down conversation and honest debate. Groupthink smothers critical thinking with condescension and derision.

We find groupthink throughout the Scriptures. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of unnatural and malignant groupthink. Groupthink during the Exodus rebelled against Moses and the Lord. Herod the Great ruled with an iron fist. Subjects beholden to his power supported him and carried out his dictates, good and bad.

The Romans occupied ancient Israel but could not break the stubborn groupthink of pious Jews. Throughout the Gospel, malignant groupthink enabled the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees to put Jesus to the test. Malignant groupthink appears with Jesus on trial before Pilate as the crowd roars, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

The account of the woman caught in adultery (cf. Jn. 8:1-11) is a study of malignant groupthink. Malignant groupthink will not allow the facts to confuse and relentlessly puts opponents to the test. The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery and ask Jesus to affirm the penalty of stoning according to the precepts of Mosaic Law.

Malignant groupthink is devoid of self-awareness. There is grim comedy in the opening remarks: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.” What happened to her partner? Did he jump out the window? Was he wearing a clown suit as disguise? Malicious groupthink is rooted in hatred, ideological agendas, predetermined conclusions, and power politics. Groupthink hatred often overlooks the obvious.

Jesus does not immediately respond to the scribes and Pharisees. In the only recorded instance of His writing, Jesus scribbles a few items in the dirt. It is easy to surmise that those few written words indicted the scribes and Pharisees—and the lady’s partner in crime. He says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” The scribes and Pharisees depart in shame (including the guy in the clown suit).

Honesty and truth challenge the patterns of every form of groupthink. Incisive questions of fact and the honest examination of raw evidence break the tightly packed solidarity of sinful (or erroneous) groupthink.

Jesus—who has come to save the world from malignant groupthink—addresses the woman face-to-face, but He does not use her name: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She responds, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.”

Mary Magdalene is probably the woman caught in adultery, but St. John respectfully allows us to connect the literary dots. A repentant woman appears shortly after this scene, anointing Jesus' feet with oil and bathing them with her tears. In a later scene, Judas chastises Mary (who is behaving like the preceding repentant woman), the sister of Martha, for using costly ointment to anoint the feet of Jesus. Mary Magdalene (by name) is among the holy women at the foot of the Cross.

After the Resurrection, St. John recounts Mary Magdalene’s touching encounter with the risen Jesus. Heartbroken after His crucifixion and burial, Mary returns to the sepulcher to (once again!) anoint Him. As she encounters the resurrected Jesus, she mistakes Him for the gardener. In His initial encounter, Jesus says, “Woman, has no one condemned you?” This time, the personal salutation replaces the impersonal. He says, “Mary.”

Jesus knows and loves us by name. The unity of thought of Jesus and His band of brothers is rooted in their encounter with Jesus in truth, freedom, and love. Jesus reveals He is not a rabble-rousing demagogue. His passion is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23)

Authentic Christian formation is personal: Heart-to-heart encounters in prayer. I believe. We are also members of the Church and strive to cultivate a Catholic mind. We believe. The Mass is the new and everlasting covenant of our personal and communal encounter with Jesus.

Groupthink applies to every human institution, including the Church’s institutions. But the term doesn’t apply to our faith in Jesus. Our faith is personal, communal, reasonable, and lovely. The martyrs died for the love of Jesus and His Church.

It is folly to pretend we are immune to sinful groupthink. However, the teachings of Jesus are devoid of manipulative ideology and systemic organizational error. He promises: “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32)