About this quote

Large numbers can preserve bad judgment even when counterarguments are available. The aphorism is intentionally severe, making it a warning about collective folly rather than a literal claim about every majority.

When to use it

• A board requests evidence before following a popular proposal that no member has critically examined.
• A voter checks a viral claim even after seeing it repeated by thousands of accounts.
• A team assigns a dissenter to test consensus assumptions before committing major resources.