“Tendency of the members of a group to yield to the desire for consensus or unanimity at the cost of considering alternative courses of action. Group-think is said to be the reason why intelligent and knowledgeable people make disastrous decisions.”
The definition above is of group think. To break it down this concept which I learned about during grad school in which companies that put together groups to get projects done tend to engage in this behavior when the group gets to be more than 6 members.
In this picture you see glass going in all different directions. Sometimes I feel this is how the plus community is going. Everyone for themselves even though the room is crowded with people. Everyone wants to get to the finish line but few are willing to work together to make it a reality.
What does group think have to do with the plus size community and fashion? Everything! Full Figure Plus is read in 153 countries/territories with that many people reading it not only means there are a lot of individuals around the world who view themselves as part of the plus size community it is also a perfect breeding ground for good people to make bad decisions.
Before you cry foul hear me out on this and after I am done spelling it out I will of course offer a solution.
Group think in action manifested itself in this way:
- Groups of plus celebrities wanting to abolish the term “plus size”
- Gabby, from Young, Fat, and Fabulous, turning her back on the community helped her get to where she is today
- Networking only with people who AGREE with you
- Attacking each other when there is a disagreement
- Infringing on business copyrights aka Little Rock, Phillidelphia, New Jersey Full Figured Fashion Week copying the trademarked Full Figured Fashion Week™ brand and hiding behind legal loopholes
- Not supporting each other but complaining that no help is available
