devil’s advocate

I have taken on the role of Devil’s Advocate recently with someone I know who is involved in a conflict at work.....

The Devil’s Advocate is over 400 years old. The Roman Catholic Church officially created the Advocatus Diaboli position in 1587 to be the official skeptic when debating sainthood applications. His job was to be the official naysayer: slander the candidate’s character and argue that the miracles were fraudulent.

When the Devil’s Advocate lost his job with the Church, he moved on to work in business meetings.

“Let me play Devil’s Advocate” is a socially acceptable way to critisise an idea. It’s a guise that allows anyone to criticize an idea without offering an alternative. It’s far easier (and safer) to tear down than to create. You can undermine what someone has just proposed without actually challenging them directly, and therefore probably keep your job :~)