Examples Of Groupthink In The Lottery By Shirley Jackson

The philosophical idea that perspectives held by the majority are not to be quickly disputed, yet should neither be carelessly echoed, derives from the basis that when one follows traditions, oftentimes, they do not take the time to consider the rituals critically. This is a proposal largely reflected in Shirley Jackson’s novel The Lottery, wherein she presents the following of past traditions based on the phenomenon of groupthink. In The Lottery, the plot implies that the following of past traditions should be inquired by the generations who choose to practice them. There are three main contentions for this: first, the continual rebirth of unoriginal ideas, next, the societal lack of motivational drive, and finally, the consequences brought

Upon the establishment of a ritual, people possess an instinctive tendency to follow it, along with the rest of society, just the way they were taught because it appears to be the “acceptable” form of taking a certain action. They fail to realize that not only is this largely detrimental due to people no longer questioning traditions and their truest core intention, but it also sets firm limitations to the scope of human imagination and creativity, ultimately cutting off a society’s ability to think for themselves or to be original. “The children assembled first, of course” is a statement provided right away, and although seemingly innocent, it brings up the main idea of the story in an exceedingly subtle way (Jackson 1). The idea that children assembling first being “certain” or “obvious” brings to perspective how easy it is for us in our nature to simply accept something as true. One may argue that a lack of

This can be viewed in many aspects, but primarily, it holds true on the principle that citizens will become increasingly unmotivated on a holistic scale. “Some people believed that the official of the lottery used to stand just so when he said or sang it [a tuneless chant]... but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse” (Jackson 2). Performing traditions with the same level of conformity and respectability becomes a mere ideal that can never be upheld. This is because when people are introduced to an old, repetitive idea, often it is the case that they do not question the idea itself, but the practices around the idea. As a result, shortening down or “trimming” the activity to meet modern-day needs becomes the new norm. This means that people are not motivated by the value of the ritual itself, but rather, merely upholding tradition on accounts of historicity. In the aspect of other events in society, if everyone shares the same experiences, they become accustomed to not having to think for themselves. There comes a point where there is no purpose in having to carefully consider things, and with no motivation to innovate, people become degenerate. “The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions: most of them were quiet. Wetting their