The polls undoubtedly help to decide what people think, but their most important long-term influence may be on how people think. The interrogative process is very distinctly weighted against the asking of an intelligent question or the recording of a thoughtful answer.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Polls shape how people think by discouraging complex questions and thoughtful answers.
- In plain terms
- Polls influence thought more than opinion by simplifying issues.
- What can you take from it?
- Polls prioritize quick answers over deep thinking.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do polls simplify too much?
- How can we ask better public questions?
Another view
The claim that polls weigh against intelligent questions is hard to verify generally.
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