The Tenth Man
Sometimes your are hit with the most profound insights when you really do not expect it. This was such an occasion. At one point I was watching World War Z (a 2013 Hollywood Zombie movie staring Brad Pitt). This was already quite peculiar since I hardly watch horror- or zombiemovies, even less so when they are from the Holy woods.
ISB
At some point the main characters are confronted with grave decisions to make, when some military dude says this:
"If nine of us who get the same information arrived at the same conclusion, it’s the duty of the tenth man to disagree. No matter how improbable it may seem. The tenth man has to start thinking about the assumption that the other nine are wrong."
I can still vividly remember the moment I saw this exact part. I felt like I was struck by lightning. This is what I automatically do when acting in a group. I immediately identify the "most likely to be shared opinion" and instantly side for the opposite. This is again a testimony on how unnatural group behavior feels to me. This while I am fully aware of the genetic predisposition on groupbehavior and the supposed personal advantages as a result of complying, but from a futuristic logical perspective it seems like a rather dead end.
So ... I would always advocate to be the tenth man, even more so when struggling in your own mind. Dare to be the opposite. Dare to be the unpopular one. Dare to be Judas. Dare to be the devil ... Dare to be ANTI!
ISB