Groupthink is an attractive theory by virtue of its ability to explain irrational decisions made by groups of rational, intelligent individuals. However, the theory does not predict group behavior and simply reviews past events and applies a rubric of eight “symptoms” that make up groupthink. These eight symptoms include illusions of invulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in inherent morality, stereotypical views of outgroups, direct pressure on dissidents, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, and self-proclaimed “mind guards” (McCauley 1998). The illusion of invulnerability occurs when members overestimate their own abilities and irrationally believe that everything will work out for the group because it is unique or different. Belief in intrinsic morality occurs when members automatically believe that their cause is justified, without any proper basis. Collective rationalization occurs when members dismiss any errors or conflicting viewpoints by creating false and often logically flawed explanations. Out-group stereotypes describe the group's tendency to ignore all opposing ideas and to arbitrarily denounce people outside the group. Self-censorship is responsible for discouraging members from speaking about their ideas and findings if the ideas challenge the status quo. The illusion of unanimity is achieved when members mistakenly believe that group silence means the group is in agreement. Direct pressure on dissenters is the fear within the group that disagreement means disloyalty. Finally, self-appointed mind guards are members who voluntarily prevent the group from discussing controversial topics or ideas. The eight general statements cast a wide net and appear plausible and appealing, but are actually quite vague...... middle of paper... overts “listen more than they talk... express themselves better in writing than through speech conversation” and “they don't like conflict” (Cain 2012). In business and administrative environments, extroverts take on the leadership role and “tackle tasks quickly… making quick (sometimes rash) decisions and are comfortable with multitasking and risk-taking” (Cain 2012) . In contrast, introverts “work more slowly and deliberately” and are less likely to participate in an active, fast-paced group discussion (Cain 2012). Groupthink does not take into account the type of personalities present in a group that made a bad decision. Within work groups, extroverts are more likely to dominate discussions and express themselves openly, while introverts are more likely to listen and stay silent. This is an important factor contributing to group decisions that Groupthink overlooks.