--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The majority never has right on its side…" description: "\"The majority never has right on its side. Never, I say! That is one of these social lies against which an independent, intelligent men must wage war. W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/henrik-ibsen-1419_clever_the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side_1075579.jpg" --- # The majority never has right on its side. Never, I say!… ![“The majority never has right on its side. Never, I say! That is one of these social lies against which an independent, intelligent men must wage war. Who is it that constitute the majority of the population in a country? Is it the clever folk, or the stupid? I don't imagine you will dispute the…” quote by Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/henrik-ibsen-1419_clever_the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side_1075579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/henrik-ibsen-1419_clever_the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side_1075579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb3/henrik-ibsen-1419_clever_the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side_1075579.jpg) > “The majority never has right on its side. Never, I say! That is one of these social lies against which an independent, intelligent men must wage war. Who is it that constitute the majority of the population in a country? Is it the clever folk, or the stupid? I don't imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over.” [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that the majority can be misled and that intelligent individuals must challenge popular falsehoods. **In simple terms:** Majority can be wrong; think critically. Key Takeaway Question popular opinion. Themes politics society critical thinking Mood skeptical defiant Type philosophical political When to use this quote - public policy debates - media consumption - education reform - activism - leadership Key Concepts mass psychology democratic fallacy Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern truth from majority opinion? - When should you oppose popular belief? A Different Perspective Majorities can also be sources of wisdom; not all are misguided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Constitute Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitute-majority-2703706/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Disputes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disputes/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [Intelligent man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent-man/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Majority Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-population-684787/) [Majority Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-right-672031/) [Majority World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-world-1046384/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Overwhelming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overwhelming/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Stupid people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-people/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies-2/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I don't imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/i-don-t-imagine-you-will-dispute-the-fact-that-at-present-the-stupid/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I do not hesitate to say, that those who call themselves Abolitionists should at once effectually withdraw their support, both inperson and property, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-hesitate-to-say-that-those-who-call-themselves-abolitionists/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“One person, with good purpose, can, constitute the majority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/one-person-with-good-purpose-can-constitute-the-majority/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The majority never has right on its side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I am in revolt against the age-old lie that the majority is always right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/i-am-in-revolt-against-the-age-old-lie-that-the-majority-is-always/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“The majority never has right on its side. Never I say! That is one of the social lies that a free, thinking man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-never-has-right-on-its-side-never-i-say-that-is-one-of/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [. . . Newton was an unquestioning believer in an all-wise creator of the universe, and in his own inability - like the boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/newton-was-an-unquestioning-believer-in-an-all-wise-creator-of-the/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [The vast majority of the population seems to look down their noses upon self-reliance as some quaint dusty relic, entertained only by the hyperparanoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-lundin/the-vast-majority-of-the-population-seems-to-look-down-their-noses/) [Cody Lundin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-lundin/) > [Professional sports, in of itself, is a fantasy, for the majority of the population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-luna/professional-sports-in-of-itself-is-a-fantasy-for-the-majority-of-the/) [Gabriel Luna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-luna/) > [In Cuba, we have a democracy that represents the humble, the dispossessed, those who make up the vast majority of the population. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/in-cuba-we-have-a-democracy-that-represents-the-humble-the/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [ We \[women\] are the majority of the population, majority of the electorate, majority of the workforce... and yet we're still doing majority of family… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-jen-poo/we-women-are-the-majority-of-the-population-majority-of-the/) [Ai-jen Poo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-jen-poo/) > [I know that in South Africa, we were in that space, and we're still suffering from that space. And that was where a government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-know-that-in-south-africa-we-were-in-that-space-and-we-re-still/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [After working for TV, you realise that the majority of the population still wonders where their next meal is coming from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-lewis/after-working-for-tv-you-realise-that-the-majority-of-the-population/) [Terence Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-lewis/) > [Imagine if all of life were determined by majority rule. Every meal would be a pizza. Every pair of pants, even those in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/imagine-if-all-of-life-were-determined-by-majority-rule-every-meal/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More 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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“To be oneself on a basis of gold is no better than founding one’s house on the sand. 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When I lived at home with Papa, he used to tell me his opinion about everything, and so I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/nora-it-s-true-torvald-when-i-lived-at-home-with-papa-he-used-to-tell/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Each bird must sing with his own throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/each-bird-must-sing-with-his-own-throat/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I propose to raise a revolution against the lie that the majority has the monopoly of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/i-propose-to-raise-a-revolution-against-the-lie-that-the-majority-has/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [But I almost think we are all of us ghosts. 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I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. 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