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"Good cop, bad cop" relies on an abusive dynamic that's contingent on a heavy imbalance of power and the threat of receiving potentially severe punishment. Tha

• notacoward 8y ago
  > contingent on a heavy imbalance of power Only if you forget that it's a metaphor. I suppose there's always someone who will take things super-literally and complain that the literal version doesn't match the current situation exactly, as a way of scoring points. Well, guess what? I don't actually carry a badge and wear a blue uniform either, and I'm not suggesting that anyone here should. Nonetheless, I've been in many situations where having one person play skeptic/adversary and another play advocate can be productive. Not everyone is good at poking holes in their own idea so they can be fixed, or at defending their own decisions in an unfamiliar environment where others might have more expertise. Sometimes it's more extreme vs. moderate than aligned vs. opposed, but it still works. As I've pointed out in another thread, it's how our (USA) justice system works. It's how a thesis defense works. It's not the right approach for every situation, but it's not invalid either. Or maybe I'm just playing devil's advocate here, to see how much others follow their own advice to act collaboratively. ;)