Intelligent man Quote by Henrik Ibsen
““The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population -- the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it's the fools, no matter where you go in this world, it's the fools that form the overwhelming majority.””
About This Quote
Source Play: An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, 1882
The majority often consists of less informed individuals, and trusting them blindly can be misleading.
In simple terms: Most people are not the smartest; beware of majority opinion.
Key Takeaway
Question authority and seek evidence.
Themes
critical thinking
society
majority opinion
skepticism
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- media consumption
- public policy decisions
- community leadership
Key Concepts
democracy
crowd behavior
intelligence distribution
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you rely on majority opinion in decisions?
- How can you identify when the majority is misinformed?
A Different Perspective
The majority can be correct in certain contexts, so blanket distrust may hinder cooperation.
![“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable…” quote by Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/588/ren-descartes-1376_able_about-pierre-de-fermat-it-cannot-be-deni_89929.jpg)
