Interesting post from the excellent PsyBlog that rounds up thinking and research on the question of dissent and its relationship to good decision-making. Dissenters play an essential role in avoiding a collective detachment from reality (otherwise known as groupthink), but they have a very difficult balancing act to pull off:
To be effective dissenters must tread a fine line, avoiding pointless confrontation or personal attacks; instead presenting minority viewpoints in an even-handed, well-modulated and authentic fashion. For their part the majority has to fight its instinct to crush dissenters and recognise the risk they are taking in being critical of the majority opinion.
