Definition: Yale psychologist Irving Janis originally defined groupthink as ‘‘a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when...strivings for unanimity override...motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." In other words, the surrender of independent thought to group dynamics.

Usage: Groupthink is not an evil; it is the attempt by members of a prestigious group to contribute to consensus, as well as to protect themselves by siding with the majority. However, it often leads to bad decisions. It is generally accepted as a major factor in Roosevelt's ignoring evidence of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor and in Kennedy's miscalculations in invading Cuba. Now it is being suggested that it was a factor in the miscalculation of weapons of mass destruction and Al Qaeda activity in Iraq.

Suggested Usage: Since the noun "think" means "one instance of thinking," "Groupthink," is not the best of terms. It was selected, no doubt, for its scary association with Orwell's "doublethink," "goodthink," etc. in the novel '1984.' The sentiment is one long associated with the thought conformity of committees: "A camel is a horse designed by groupthink (a committee)."

Etymology: The word "think" comes from Old English "thencan" akin to "thancian "to thank." Its origin is Proto-Indo-European *tong-/teng which rarely appears outside Germanic: Albanian tangë "resentment" and Tocharian—a dead language—tunk "love." These examples seem to refer to feelings but in Old English "think" originally meant "to seem, appear," as Thomas Heywood so aptly put it in 1635, "Him thought that in his depth of sleepe he saw A Souldier arm'd." This led to the impersonal verb, "methinks," found often in the works of Shakespeare. It is easy to see how "it appears to me" could slip into "I think."