Asks Quote by James Surowiecki
“Diversity and independence are important because the best collective decisions are the product of disagreement and contest, not consensus or compromising. An intelligent group, especially when confronted with cognition problems, does not ask its members to modify their positions in order to let the group reach a decision everyone can be happy with. Instead…the best way for a group to be smart is for each person in it to think and act as independently as possible.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "The Wisdom of Crowds", 2004
Diverse, independent opinions produce better decisions than forced consensus; disagreement fuels intelligence.
In simple terms: Independence beats forced agreement.
Key Takeaway
Encourage independent thinking.
Themes
decision‑making
diversity
independence
Mood
analytical
strategic
Type
organizational
educational
When to use this quote
- team brainstorming
- deliberative panels
- policy design
- innovation workshops
Key Concepts
group intelligence
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you foster healthy dissent?
- When is consensus preferable?
A Different Perspective
Consensus can be efficient when speed matters.
![“[Mood allocates] investments of time, effort, resources, and risk taking to maximize Darwinian fitness in situations of varying propitiousness. High and low moods adjust cognition and behavior to cope with propitious and unpropitious situations.” quote by Randolph M. Nesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d0/randolph-m-nesse-24802_behavior_mood-allocates-investments-of-time-effor_87538.jpg)
