Evelyn Rodriguez writes about the role of dissent in promoting creativity referencing this article by Charlan Nemeth: Rogues and Heroes: Finding Value in Dissent (pdf). It turns out that dissenting views even when factually wrong, can (in some circumstances) improve the broader critical thinking skills and creativity of groups.
Needless to say, handing this kind of dissent is challenging, stressful for both the dissenter and the group. I’ve long felt that creativity and anxiety are frequent bedfellows, and our capacity to find a space to hold conflict is an important mark of our ability to think better.
