Do you think there’s something wrong with racial/ethnic groupthink?

[Anonymous]

How I define “racial groupthink” would be the phenomenon of an individual to adhere to or remain loyal to the beliefs of one’s racial/ethnic group, foregoing individuality and outside facts.

In other words “most Asians believe in ‘X’ so that means I must believe in it because I’m also Asian.”

“Most Japanese are Catholic, so I have to be Catholic since I’m Japanese.”

“Most blacks in the US are democrat, so being black, I have to be democrat.”

Updates

+1 y

Further update on that definition, even though I think most of you know what I mean

Racial/ethnic Groupthink:

“phenomenon of an individual to adhere to or remain loyal to the beliefs of one’s racial/ethnic group, primarily because they being to the same racial/ethnic group, and in the process decreasing individuality and shutting/silencing outside facts.”

“I have to believe in ‘X’ because my ethnic/racial group does.”

Updates

+1 y

I think everyone should just be individuals and if they agree with something then it should be based on the MERITS of that something and NOT because SOMEONE believes in that something, so that’s why you’re believing in it.

If you believe in a cause, then it should be because of the facts/merits of the cause, NOT because people who are like you or people you like believe in that cause.

[RolandCuthbert]

Haha!!! Why should outside viewpoints matter to a person who is a member of a culture? For example, if I am Mexican, why should I care about what a "Black" person thinks of me or my culture? It isn't like that "Black" person is contributing to my culture, cares about my people or understands my history.

And facts are facts. They are not outside or inside. A fact is not changed by who observes it.

Your observations are borderline insane.

1. Most Japanese people speak Japanese. So should you reject speaking Japanese to prove that you are individual?

2. What makes a person Japanese? Phenotype? I am an African-American. I have little exposure to East Asian Cultures, I could not tell a Japanese from a Korean from a Chinese person. So to make the claim it is about phenotype is a lie. It is about culture, history and group identity. And if a person born in Japan, to Japanese culture, starts to think his culture is substandard, they are free to reject it to embrace another culture. But to pretend they have become an individual is a lie. They were born an individual. And they are the due the same rights due any other human being.

3. If people just agreed with things based upon the merits, we would all believe in the same things. We do not. The only reason why we differ from each other is primarily because of our culture (s).

4. Which leads to this point. You have talked about race for as long as you have been here. You have pretended this was a real standard for judging differences in people. Even as you talk all this crap about individuality. You talk about the "Black" race while this mythical race is wildly diverse, has no single group identity or culture and who's members fight and war on each other constantly. But the biggest issue here is that YOU ARE FACTUALLY WRONG. Objective scientific fact disproved race decades ago. So you see, you don't care about objective facts. You care that your biased opinions are accepted as fact.

[Asker]

I was going to respond to all your points, but I’ve seen how that goes in the past.

No matter how much I explain myself you disingenuously interpret what I say.

I’ve proved you wrong twice already.

Once, in the last post about blacks who are conservative, vote Donald Trump, are critical and/or against BLM, etc.

Twice, right now. Everyone on here agrees with me about racial/ethnic groupthink.

You keep not understanding the big picture of what I’m saying.

Everyone else understands, only you do not

Why is that?

[RolandCuthbert]

You are not explaining why should I care about what people who are not "Black" say about my experience? If I wanted an opinion about the "Black" experience, I would to go a group of "Black" people and ask them.

Your analysis claims that David Duke has as much right to give his opinion as I do. I don't believe a "White" supremacist like you should have equal saying about what "Black" culture is or how it should be critiqued.

But it isn't just a belief. It is repeated with every single cultural experience on this planet. No culture should be judged or critiqued by the standards of another one. I just told you, why on earth should I care about your opinion of the Filipino nationality? You have already said you have done everything you can to expunge any influence of the Filipino experience from your life. If I wanted to find out about life being a Filipino American, you would be the last person on earth to ask. I would ask a person who was proud to be called Filipino. Not someone who thought nothing was special about it.

Why am I supposed to care about what people say at GaG? I run a Meetup group (s) with 800 people. I care about what they have to say. Anonymous trolls and posters don't really have much skin in the game.

[Asker]

And people in your group of 800 are unbiased? I don’t have too much faith about that.

At least people here are all random. I don’t know how they’ll answer my
questions.

Again, for the 100th time, I’ve never said I’ve done everything in my power to expunge my Filipino culture.

You’re clearly misguided on this issue and I’m not sure why.

[RolandCuthbert]

No one here at GaG is unbiased. How many posters stood by while racists called me all kinds of racist insulting names? They stood by while posters claimed American slavery was good for African-Americans and that lynchings, rape and murder were no big deal. They mocked the experience of my parents and grandparents.

And they did this all while being anonymous. Racists are all cowards. So are those who support them. In an actual group where people have to meet face to face, I don't have to listen to such racist drivel. There are disagreements, but folks are much better behaved.

Just like I know you won't say any of these things in public. You say them here. Because it is "safe".

Haha! People here are not "random". My group is called "racial/cultural discussions". The only thing that is not random about it, is you can't be a coward.

It is funny that you keep calling me misguided while hiding up here at GaG.

Amazing actually. No one calls me misguided in my groups. In fact, I am complimented all the time on the courage and drive to build a group of diverse folks to talk about a diverse listing of topics. If I was so misguided, people would leave. But the exact opposite is happening.

Oh, the next watch party is about the internment of Italian Americans in WW2.

[Oigit]

Groupthink can strip one of their feeling of self and cause them to never have it. The deeper one goes down that rabbit hole, the more likely you are to start stripping away your true self. Also deeper you go the more of a automaton you become. Simply because you stop thinking and feeling for yourself. Your thoughts and feelings can become fully based on groupthink. To the point where your entire thought process becomes something like this: You are A; so you should think B, be C, do or not do D and feel E."

[Tiffany_Taylor_Made]

The reasoning that you listed in your quotes is simply the result of the bandwagon fallacy. With that, I would say that fallacies are always wrong. A person shouldn't believe or accept something simply on the basis that most other people believe it, whether they are part of the same group or not. The reason is because most of those people could be wrong. Instead, people should analyze the facts before accepting something as truth. For example, I'm Black and I usually find myself supporting Democratic politicians more than others. However, I don't usually support Democrats simply because most Black people support Democrats. I tend to support Democrats based on the fact that Democrats tend to address issues that affect the Black community and acknowledge the very real issues that Black people face. Republicans usually downplay or deny Black issues. Thus, they don't have my support.

[ineedatan]

LMFAO I have definitely never heard of this term before, but I do know of some that box their assumptions/expectations to this sort of thinking. And well, my personal life dosen't adhere at all to what most east Asians would see as "normal" to "my" racial/ethnic groupthink. And I really don't care.

Every person is a unique make up that isn't limited to just their race/ethnic group. We're so much more - and it all depends on what we individually choose to identify with - race, ethnic makeup, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, economic background, one's career... you name it.

[OlderAndWiser]

This phenomenon is favored by the Democrat Party. It's current strategy is to try to cobble together a coalition of minorities than can survive the plurality that supports a Republican candidates. That strategy requires that all the troops maintain a rigid lockstep mentality. Example:. If you are black and you don't vote for Joe Biden, b them you're not really black.

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

My thoughts, beliefs, feelings, actions are mine not because I'm white not because I'm female because I'm me. I'm not going to conform what I believe or don't believe because others of my race or gender believe it. Noone should in my opinion 🤷🏼‍♀️

[DanielStark]

I think it's human nature and has been this way for thousands of years until a decades long program of intensive social engineering manipluated the psychopathology a few selected population groups. I prefer to live in a manner consistent with unaltered human nature.

[Bratsondanielle]

Personally I never gave a shit what people thought and lived by the rule " u don't like me? Fuck off" and I think that's y I'm so happy and have such a gr8 life but aside from that I seriously hate "race" issues and it's mostly because it's soooooo stuuupiddd

[YHL6965]

Yes because that's basically stereotyping. Besides, I don't respect people who don't think for themselves and just spit out things they heard without forging their own opinion. Doing that is being a sheep and I just can't have high esteem for people like that.

[hellionthesagereborn]

Well of course, for starters its not thinking. Secondly it ensures no growth or change will ever occur within that group as they will never allow deviation or outside perspectives and ideas. Its entirely destructive to the group.

[mollyyyy37474]

Yes, because it puts people in a box when some people have different interest and beliefs sometimes.

[madgoat]

No. I think we are not far away from 1984-style thought crime at the moment.

[normalice]

There are no "beliefs of an ethnic group." That's a far right talking point to scare dumb white people by making them think they are being organized against.

[19magic]

I believe partly in elemental spirits, reincarnation and ghosts, not loads if any people believe in all three

[Asker]

What does that have to do with my question exactly?

[19magic]

You were talking about beliefs and if people conformed to beliefs is they're a certain colour, age etc I'm a white British girl aged 23 so I said how many people believes what I believe?

[OddBeMe]

I love when people talk about strong beliefs with no evidence to show for it.

[19magic]

I don't care all I know is what is in my heart, I wouldn't call it beliefs with spirits rather feelings while in the elements I used to love shouting at the sea and laughing while running into the wind. As for ghosts I've seen a couple in my life and reincarnation well I believe in karma to a point and majority of time it works out ie you get more pigs with carrots kinda thing

[OddBeMe]

You know what science knows.

[FreyaRed]

No, in term of group unity and self-preservation.
Yes in terms of radicalism and polarization.
Forcing someone in particular direction and mindset is the second case.

[Berethor]

Well there an distinction between loyalty and blind obedience.

[Dchrls78104]

One result of "racial/ethnic groupthink" in America is spelt K-K-K.

[OddBeMe]

Yes. But BLM is a groupthink of “please stop killing us.’”

[Ellie-V]

Yeah

[KAT247]

Yes I do

[WowwGirl]

Group thinking is never good sir

[Gregthegreatandholy]

Yes. Its called racism.

[Burcak]

yea its racist