Collective Stupidity and Evil: Lessons for Ethical Leaders

Jan 22

Why Critical Thinking Is a Civic and Moral Imperative

Written by Dr. Jemaine L. Irby, 19 January 2026

At the heart of ethical leadership lies a question that is easy to overlook: Are we, as individuals and organizations, truly exercising independent judgment or are we letting collective pressure shape our decisions in ways that can unintentionally enable harm? Reflecting on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s analysis of “stupidity,” we find a philosophical warning and a practical challenge for professionals and citizens alike.

Bonhoeffer’s insight, which resonates today more than ever, is that intellectual passivity is not merely a personal failing but a moral one. By “giving up” our autonomy and ceasing to interrogate the narratives handed down by authority, we become complicit in outcomes we might otherwise abhor. The measure of ethical action, then, is not just in what we do, but in how critically we engage with the beliefs and systems that inform our choices.

This dynamic is especially potent in groups, where conformity and consensus can override individual wisdom. Consider the concept of groupthink: even the most brilliant teams can blunder when dissent is stifled, and everyone falls in line with the prevailing opinion. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion, for example, stands as a cautionary tale of how collective intelligence can be undermined by pressure to conform. The result? Well-intentioned people collaborating on disastrous decisions, not out of malice, but because they surrendered their critical faculties at the door.

History offers sobering reminders of the consequences. Mass hysteria, propaganda, and social contagion have led to horrors from witch trials to genocides and tragedies perpetrated not only by villains, but by ordinary people convinced they were on the side of right. Bonhoeffer challenges us to acknowledge that evil is most dangerous when it wears the mask of necessity or virtue, persuading the many to abandon their responsibility for reflection and resistance.

For ethical strategists, the lesson is clear: We must cultivate and defend the conditions that make critical thinking possible. This means fostering environments where questioning is not just tolerated but encouraged, where diverse perspectives are sought, and where the easy path of consensus is resisted in favor of genuine deliberation. It also means recognizing the ways that our own organizations and communities are vulnerable to the temptations of collective folly.

At Irby Ethical Strategies, we believe that progress is impossible without the courage to think and act independently. Our commitment is to help leaders and teams develop the habits of mind and the institutional safeguards that turn collective intelligence into a force for good, not an echo chamber for error. In an age of polarization, disinformation, and misinformation, this work is not just professional; it is profoundly ethical and civic.

The call to action is simple but urgent: Question, reflect, and refuse to be swept along by the current. The future depends on our willingness to resist the comfort of unthinking consensus and instead practice the vigilant, uncomfortable work of ethical leadership.