Being smart Quote by James Surowiecki
“For a crowd to be smart, the people in it need to be not only diverse in their perspectives but also, relatively speaking, independent of each other. In other words, you need people to be thinking for themselves, rather than following the lead of those around them.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki, 2004
Collective intelligence works when members bring varied viewpoints and think independently, avoiding herd behavior.
In simple terms: Diverse, independent thinking fuels smart crowds.
Key Takeaway
Encourage independent perspectives.
Themes
diversity
independence
collective intelligence
decision making
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
insightful
When to use this quote
- team brainstorming
- public policy panels
- online forums
- investment committees
Key Concepts
wisdom of crowds
group dynamics
information aggregation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you foster independence in a group?
- What mechanisms prevent conformity?
A Different Perspective
If independence is low, groupthink can dominate.
![“When I started it [non for profit], I thought, I'm not smart enough to do this. I had no experience in management, no experience in administration, no experience in nonprofit; but then this phrase came into my head: I only have to be smart enough to find people who are smarter than me; I only have…” quote by Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d36/michael-j-fox-1653_administration_when-i-started-it-non-for-profit-i-thoug_1884506.jpg)
