Decision making Quote by Jonathan Haidt
““We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put individuals together in the right way, such that some individuals can use their reasoning powers to disconfirm the claims of others, and all individuals feel some common bond or shared fate that allows them to interact civilly, you can create a group that ends up producing good reasoning as an emergent property of the social system. This is why it's so important to have intellectual and ideological diversity within any group or institution whose goal is to find truth (such as an intelligence agency or a community of scientists) or to produce good public policy (such as a legislature or advisory board).””
About This Quote
The passage claims that while individuals may be biased, assembling diverse groups with shared purpose can produce superior collective reasoning, making diversity essential for truth‑seeking institutions.
In simple terms: Diverse groups with common goals can reason better than biased individuals alone.
Key Takeaway
Promote diversity and shared purpose in teams.
Themes
diversity
collaboration
reasoning
truth
socialsystems
institutionaldesign
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
strategic
When to use this quote
- research labs
- legislatures
- intelligence agencies
- policy advisory boards
Key Concepts
collective intelligence
emergent properties
Questions to Reflect On
- How can shared fate be fostered?
- What safeguards prevent dominance of a few voices?
A Different Perspective
Groupthink can still arise without proper safeguards.
