I use the term ‘non-aggression pact’  to describe the phenomenon in therapy groups where members habitually back off from calling each other out on their bad behavior.  The unspoken agreement is:” Don’t hold me accountable for my acting in and I won’t call you on yours”. These groups are stultifying, and members do not grow emotionally, often leading to a sense of deadness in the room.  Leaders often refer to these groups as my nice group.                                                                                                                                                                              There are several explanations for the existence of  such groups.  One, is that the leader has selected a preponderance of  members  that have a strong objection to aggression, both their own and that of others. Another is that the structure of the environment precludes the open airing of negative feelings as is the case when members have outside the group contact with each other and the leader; such is the case , for example, in group training organizations where participants have a myriad of complicated dual relationships within the group and outside of it. In these groups, there is a collusion between members and the leader to avoid any type of confrontation that might disrupt the flow of narcissistic gratification that characterizes the social structure of the larger organization.  Members know that is political suicide within the institute to be critical of the leadership and other members that dole out the perks of the system like referrals, supervisory and teaching positions. Greed plays a large role in the development and in the stability of non-aggression pacts at these organizations. However, the non-aggression pact does also exist in groups with secure boundaries. The following blog is an example of a case in point.