AI Practice Knowledge BaseCounterintuitive Facts (12): Why Would a Group of Smart, Good People Collectively Walk Into Disaster?
PremiumThe Abilene Paradox: The scariest thing isn't someone wanting to harm you, but everyone being 'too polite to tell the truth'
I. A hot afternoon. A family of four sitting idly in an old house in Texas. Father in law casually says: "How about we drive to Abilene for dinner?" Abilene is 80 kilometers away. 4 hours round trip. 40 degrees outside. No air conditioning in the car.
II. Actually the father in law was just making conversation. He didn't want to go at all. The husband thinks: "I don't want to go, it's too hot. But if we don't go, will father in law be upset?" So he says: "Sure." The wife thinks: "Are these two crazy? But if I don't go, will they think I'm not being a good wife?" So she says: "I'll go too." The mother in law thinks: "Since everyone wants to go, I won't be a party pooper." So she says: "Of course."
III. Four people bounced along for 4 hours in the scorching heat, ate a terrible meal, came ba
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