It does not prove a thing to be right because the majority say it is so.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Majority opinion does not determine truth or morality. Just because many people believe something does not make it correct.
- In plain terms
- Being popular doesn't mean you're right.
- What can you take from it?
- Trust truth over popularity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When have you followed the crowd incorrectly?
- How do you test popular beliefs?
Another view
Sometimes majority view aligns with practical consensus.
More from Friedrich von Schiller
In the society where people are just parts in a larger machine, individuals are unable to develop fully.
Permalink to quote #111 It hinders the creative work of the mind if the intellect examines too closely the ideas as they pour in.
Permalink to quote #113 I see before me the father of my parents.
Permalink to quote #110
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