This Wicked Thinking Technique Has Endured for Over 400 Years

Do you know how the term devil’s advocate originated?

In a surprising twist of ecclesiastical ingenuity, the Roman Catholic Church created an office called advocatus diaboli (Latin for "devil's advocate"), formally established by Pope Sixtus V in 1587.

The church thought this would be a good idea to vet candidates for canonization. The advocatus diaboli title was assigned to the “Promoter of the Faith,” a lawyer appointed by the church who was responsible for uncovering any flaws or misrepresentations in the evidence presented by the God's Advocate (or “Promoter of the Cause”) who argued in favor of a candidate's sainthood.?

During these no-doubt lively proceedings, the devil's advocate would cross-examine witnesses, scrutinize evidence, and argue against the miracles attributed to the candidate to ensure a thorough and fair evaluation. The church, in its zealous pursuit of spiritual authenticity, deemed this adversarial approach a necessary crucible through which potential saints must pass.

Interestingly, the first known English translation of advocatus diaboli as "devil's advocate" dates back to around 1760. Imagine…it took nearly 175 years for this concept to extend beyond the church’s usage into the broader vernacular.

Today’s Devilish Advocacy

Since the 1700s, the devil’s advocate term has expanded to include anyone we want to argue against any position we take, not just papally sanctioned sainthood.

It’s fun to play that devil, by yourself or in groups. You get to be contrarian and tell yourself or others what they may not want to hear (or think) about. The devil gets to ask the toughest questions, consider the worst-case scenarios, and shake down all assumptions and opinions (often unfounded).

It can be tricky, though.

If you try to play the devil without announcing your intentions, you might get branded as a naysayer, someone who is shooting down the big new idea or whatever.

Other times, you might encounter a leader who just wants the conversation to stay rosy and focus on the positives…Hey, none of this Negative Nelly thinking allowed!

It's a tightrope walk between critical thinking and social harmony. One misstep and you might find yourself tumbling into a pit of misunderstanding—or worse, ostracism.

If you want to try a more nuanced approach, consider my favorite: Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats technique. It’s a more comprehensive approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

You still get to dress up and pretend. One of the hats is black, which is as close to the devil as you’ll get.

Utterly Useful Tool

The next time you need to play the devil’s advocate, use these strategies from the National Council of Teachers of English.