Beware the Abilene Effect: Misjudging Collective Beliefs

The Abilene Effect highlights how individuals may conform to group decisions they personally oppose, believing others support those decisions when they do not. This phenomenon can lead to collective delusions, as seen in the Brexit situation, where the disconnect between the general populace and the political elite's support for the EU influenced voting behavior. The overwhelming influence of the political and bureaucratic class, who favored EU integration, may have obscured the reality of public sentiment, revealing the complexities of scale and the often overlooked consequences of autonomy.