England Quote by George Bernard Shaw
“Whenever an obviously well founded statement is made in England by a person specially well acquainted with the facts, that unlucky person is instantly and frantically contradicted by all the people who obviously know nothing about it.”
About This Quote
Source Play: "Arms and the Man" by George Bernard Shaw, 1894
Expert opinions are often dismissed by uninformed crowds, revealing a bias toward popular opinion over knowledge.
In simple terms: Experts get contradicted by the uninformed.
Key Takeaway
Seek evidence, not popularity.
Themes
bias
communication
expertise
social dynamics
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
observational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political debates
- media commentary
- academic conferences
- public forums
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you evaluate the credibility of a claim?
- When have you witnessed expertise being ignored?
A Different Perspective
Even experts can be swayed by majority pressure.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
