The
point of having someone play Devil's Advocate in a
debate is to bring forward
arguments that may not be
represented by those present. This comes in useful in situations where the
majority agree on an
issue, but it is still felt that
discussion will bring out further,
valuable perspectives.
In informal situations it is often easy for someone to play Devil's Advocate without others realising that is their intent. This can actually help to bring out feelings and ideas that may otherwise lie smothered or be left behind due to the participants reluctance to stand up for their own opinion.
In fact, the role of Devil's Advocate is most useful when almost everyone thinks the same way about an idea. People traditionally tend to dismiss certain views as wrong beause this is the way they have learnt things should be. The Devil's Advocate can remind them of the contrasting approaches without having to be charged with supporting them.