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this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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You have fundementally misunderstood the paradox.
Person A wanted to please person B and suggested a given action. Person B assumed person A wanted that action and wanted to please them, so they agreed. Nobody wanted the action, nobody was forced to take the action, everyone had a chance to deny the action, nobody even necessarily lied. People wanted to please others and everyone did something nobody wanted to do.
Yes, it is a failure of communication. Specifically, it's a false consensus, where everyone misunderstands the opinions of the wider group. Even more specifically, it's the Abilene paradox, where everyone acquiesces to the misunderstood desire of the wider group.
In the specific context of the OP, nobody liked the guy, but everyone thought everyone else liked the guy. They didn't want to openly insult someone everyone liked, so everyone kept quiet, so nobody realised nobody liked the guy and nobody told him to go away. It's the paradox in action.
I guess I still misunderstand because it still sounds like no one asked any questions about why or whether it was of interest. Mindless following is only a paradox when sensibility is regained and someone asks basic questions.
No one should ever mindlessly follow a group. That's how people follow GPS into a lake when common sense should alert them far before catastrophe.
You want others to like you. You want others to be happy. You put your own desires aside for the benefit of another. It's not mindless, it's selfless.
You make an assumption about a person, and they never give you cause to doubt your assumption. It will take you a long time for you to think your assumption might be wrong. After all, they agreed to it, so they must enjoy it, right? And they invited you to do this thing they like with them, so you don't wanna bring the mood down by refusing.
It's obvious in hindsight, or from a third person omniscient perspective like we have, but in the moment? It happens. It shouldn't, and that's why it's a paradox.
See also: Peer pressure, false consensus, "Don't rock the boat"