A "Circular" Argument

I have never been much of a supporter of the concept of small group discussions, be it at school, church, work, or in any other context. The way I have experienced it, whoever is responsible for organizing the group almost always has an agenda in mind that those sitting around in the group are expected to further, with little room for critical deviation. I can understand the need to "brainstorm" from time to time and get some positive input from others. But I think there are better ways to do this then cooping people up together in a room and expecting them to play a particular role that may be completely out of character for them. And then there is the circular seating arrangement...

Sitting people around in a circle facing each other is one of the more annoying aspects of many small groups, in my opinion. It creates a totalitarian atmosphere in which no one has any privacy from the glares of the others. Each participant in the group is totally exposed, with simple facial expressions and body language affecting the discussion in subtle ways that don't really contribute to an effective resolution of the topic. I have come to the conclusion over years of sitting in circle after circle of small groups that the one(s) responsible for this type of seating arrangement are, deep down inside, manipulators and seekers of power. Now, whenever I find myself in such a setting I zone out on whatever is going on and simply enter another mental reality, one where I review lists of things I've learned or simply drift off in thought about other subjects. I refuse to get caught up in the psychology of small groups, period.

Maybe this is unreasonable of me, but that's the way I am. The way I see it, if anyone wants my opinion they know where to find me and are welcome to engage in a reasonable and respectful discussion as long as they are truly serious about the stated topic instead of playing games with controlling people.

I'm not necessarily against the idea of having informational meetings, which are very common in the workplace. Policies there can be efficiently communicated to the appropriate people without having to go through the tedious process of conferring with each one. Pertinent questions can be posed here, questions that can add to everyone's understanding. But those group meetings that involve people sitting around shooting the bull are pointless, in my opinion. What often happens is that people attending them tend to say things that they later regret having said. When I hear someone speaking in this way during a meeting, I inwardly cringe and curse those responsible for making me attend it.