We hate being being wrong. Due to that, we really want to be consistent in what we believe. Also due to that, we don’t really want to find out if we are wrong. That all leads to complacency and biases like confirmation bias.
Socratic pressure is the kind of pressure that appeals to the desire to be right, forcing the unfolding of claims. Through Socratic pressure, we can facilitate the realization of misunderstanding.
Socratic pressure is like the kind of pressure of cross-examination in a court: you have to speak (on pain on being ignorant) and you have to answer leading questions that “leave no room for answers that evade” (ref, ref).