Delusion Quote by Charles MacKay
““We find that whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object, and go mad in its pursuit; that millions of people become simultaneously impressed with one delusion, and run after it, till their attention is caught by some new folly more captivating than the first.””
About This Quote
Crowds can become obsessed with a single idea, then quickly shift to the next, driven by collective delusion.
In simple terms: Mass hysteria jumps from fad to fad.
Key Takeaway
Question collective trends before following.
Themes
mass behavior
delusion
attention
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
sociological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- marketing
- politics
- social media trends
- investment bubbles
Key Concepts
sociology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives you to join a trend?
- How can you maintain independent thought?
A Different Perspective
Groupthink can also produce positive movements.
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
