About this quote

Collective ignorance has a weird way of multiplying rather than adding up. When people band together under a bad idea, logic goes out the window fast. You have probably seen this happen in online mobs or chaotic town hall meetings where common sense gets completely run over. It is easy to assume that bad decisions will fail on their own merits, but sheer numbers can push terrible plans across the finish line. Keep your eyes open and do not expect rationality to win just because it is right.

When to use it

• You say this to a coworker when the entire marketing committee votes to replace your secure payment system with a trendy, unproven app.
• You think of this after watching a massive online forum successfully hype up a useless digital coin, causing thousands of people to lose their savings.
• You whisper this to your partner during a chaotic school board meeting where thirty angry parents are demanding the school ban Wi-Fi.