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The paper introduces the term “opinion block” that is intended to capture key elements of the dynamics that occur when groups, collectives, and other social systems enact a collective defence against ideas present in adjacent systems. That is, they become collectively self-righteous. The phenomena that characterise opinion blocks are ubiquitous in society but become more apparent in highly conflicted systems. The conceptual framework emerged firstly from the author's direct involvement in a highly conflicted and litigative situation and was further developed during his work as an organisational consultant to situations of “catastrophic conflict”.
The term opinion block refers to a complex interdependent system that includes a coherent set of narratives, views, beliefs, and values as well as the people who hold and express those views. Also included are the fabric of relationships and the unconscious processes (Stapley, 2006) that cohere such systems. In escalated conflict these systems become almost impermeable to change from either inside or outside the opinion block. Sects are extreme examples of opinion blocks that occur in society but similar though usually less entrenched dynamics occur in political parties, professional societies, clubs, and many of the other essential building blocks of society. Another paper by the author describes the functioning of milder forms of opinion blocks in everyday society (Ringer, in press).