In social psychology, the "Abilene Paradox" refers to a tendency amongst individuals operating within groups to consciously set aside their own preferences in order to accede to what they believe is the will of the group.
This is similar to but distinct from "groupthink" in that folks succumbing to the Abilene Paradox are aware of what they're doing and not necessarily happy about it, but are willing to give up their own desires and priorities because they don't want to rock the boat—they want to be a team-player and don't want to ignore the seeming needs and wants of the larger group.
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