---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Plato offers this insight: “The…"
description: "\"“Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming majority of individuals will prove incapable of resisting the voice of the culture that surrounds them: i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg"
---

#  Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming majority of…

![“Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming majority of individuals will prove incapable of resisting the voice of the culture that surrounds them: in the typical case, their values, their beliefs, indeed, their very perceptions will tend to mirror those of the surrounding culture.” quote by Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg)

> ““Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming majority of individuals will prove incapable of resisting the voice of the culture that surrounds them: in the typical case, their values, their beliefs, indeed, their very perceptions will tend to mirror those of the surrounding culture.””

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People tend to adopt the norms, values, and perceptions of the dominant culture around them, limiting independent thought.

**In simple terms:** Culture shapes our beliefs and perceptions.

Key Takeaway

Question awareness of cultural influence.

Themes

conformity culture perception leadership independence

Mood

reflective critical inquisitive

Type

advice observational analytical

When to use this quote

- team meetings
- marketing campaigns
- education curricula
- media consumption
- organizational change

Key Concepts

social psychology groupthink cultural hegemony

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain personal values in a dominant culture?
- What strategies help resist uncritical conformity?

A Different Perspective

Individual agency can be overridden by strong social pressure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/)

## Related quotes

> [“The key to resisting Voice," Barrons instructed, "is finding that place inside you no one else can touch. "You mean the sidhe -seer place?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/the-key-to-resisting-voice-barrons-instructed-is-finding-that-place/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [I don't do anything to try to change people's perceptions of me. I tend to think that's sort of an ego driven thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-don-t-do-anything-to-try-to-change-people-s-perceptions-of-me-i/)

[Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/)

> [“amortized? Put differently, the vast majority of individuals, including wealthy individuals and families, find it hard to think outside the box and consider the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-anderson/amortized-put-differently-the-vast-majority-of-individuals-including/)

Thomas J. Anderson

> [ \[T\]he power system continues only as long as individuals try to get something for nothing. The day when a majority of individuals declares or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-c-sutton/t-he-power-system-continues-only-as-long-as-individuals-try-to-get/)

Antony C. Sutton

> [“What beliefs and perceptions about you and your life have you been unconsciously agreeing to that you’d have to change in order to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dispenza/what-beliefs-and-perceptions-about-you-and-your-life-have-you-been/)

[Joe Dispenza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dispenza/)

> [“beliefs and perceptions are subconscious states of being. They start with thoughts and feelings that you think and feel over and over, until they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dispenza/beliefs-and-perceptions-are-subconscious-states-of-being-they-start/)

[Joe Dispenza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dispenza/)

> [Your beliefs and perceptions determine the boudaries of your world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-duncan/your-beliefs-and-perceptions-determine-the-boudaries-of-your-world/)

[Al Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-duncan/)

> [I divide the world into three Classes - The few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen, the overwhelming majority who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-murray-butler/i-divide-the-world-into-three-classes-the-few-who-make-things-happen/)

[Nicholas Murray Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-murray-butler/)

> [The fact is that seven per cent of the global population emits 50 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, and the proportions are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-arthus-bertrand/the-fact-is-that-seven-per-cent-of-the-global-population-emits-50-per/)

[Yann Arthus-Bertrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-arthus-bertrand/)

> [If you talk to these young men and women who are fighting, they'll tell you that they think it's a worthwhile cause, and they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/if-you-talk-to-these-young-men-and-women-who-are-fighting-they-ll/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [Only 3 to 5 percent of people are aware of being a part of history; the overwhelming majority think things will always be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-voinovich/only-3-to-5-percent-of-people-are-aware-of-being-a-part-of-history/)

[Vladimir Voinovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-voinovich/)

> [“It is interesting to note that the overwhelming majority of all human beings who have ever lived were or currently are Pagans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-faulkner/it-is-interesting-to-note-that-the-overwhelming-majority-of-all-human/)

Mary Faulkner

> [The overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-overwhelming-majority-of-americans-are-possessed-of-two-great/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [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/)

> [“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/)

## More by Liz Wiseman

> [“When leaders define clear ownership and invest in others, they have sown the seeds of success and earned the right to hold people accountable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/when-leaders-define-clear-ownership-and-invest-in-others-they-have/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“To generate a big impact, pair someone who wants to change the world with someone who already knows how the world works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/to-generate-a-big-impact-pair-someone-who-wants-to-change-the-world/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“failure is not an outcome, but involves a lack of trying—not stretching yourself far enough out of your comfort zone and attempting to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/failure-is-not-an-outcome-but-involves-a-lack-of-trying-not/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr said, “All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/american-theologian-reinhold-niebuhr-said-all-human-sin-seems-so-much/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“Good leaders don’t just give people more work, they give them harder work—a bigger challenge that prompts deep learning and growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/good-leaders-don-t-just-give-people-more-work-they-give-them-harder/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“Bill asked the CEO to prepare five topics that were crucial to the company. The CEO then emailed the list to the team in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/bill-asked-the-ceo-to-prepare-five-topics-that-were-crucial-to-the/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“speaking the language of multiplication (that is, higher growth by better utilizing the resources that already exist).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/speaking-the-language-of-multiplication-that-is-higher-growth-by/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“When leaders teach, they invest in their people’s ability to solve and avoid problems in the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/when-leaders-teach-they-invest-in-their-people-s-ability-to-solve-and/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“A native genius or talent is something that people do, not only exceptionally well, but absolutely naturally. They do it easily (without extra effort)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/a-native-genius-or-talent-is-something-that-people-do-not-only/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“people actually get smarter and more capable around Multipliers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/people-actually-get-smarter-and-more-capable-around-multipliers/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“What we know might actually mask what we don’t know and impede our ability to learn and perform. All”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/what-we-know-might-actually-mask-what-we-don-t-know-and-impede-our/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“We need more than just geniuses at the top of our organizations; we need genius makers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/we-need-more-than-just-geniuses-at-the-top-of-our-organizations-we/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“The Diminisher is a Know-It-All who gives directives. The Multiplier is a Challenger who defines opportunities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/the-diminisher-is-a-know-it-all-who-gives-directives-the-multiplier/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“It has been said that after meeting with the great British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, you left feeling he was the smartest person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/it-has-been-said-that-after-meeting-with-the-great-british-prime/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

> [“resource leverage was as strategically important as resource allocation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/resource-leverage-was-as-strategically-important-as-resource/)

[Liz Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

[Explore all 107 Liz Wiseman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/)

## More Wisdom quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

> [“Your mind has the intellect to lift the world, your heart has the wisdom to better the world, and your soul has the genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-mind-has-the-intellect-to-lift-the-world-your-heart-has-the/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [If I meet a wise person, I think, 'Yes, tell me more about parenting, about marriage, about how to stay in love. Tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/if-i-meet-a-wise-person-i-think-yes-tell-me-more-about-parenting/)

[Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/)

> [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“Because I am a transvestite, people often assume that this gives me a special insight into the opposite gender. But this is rubbish: how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/because-i-am-a-transvestite-people-often-assume-that-this-gives-me-a/)

[Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/)

> [“What is cowardice in the young is wisdom in the old, but all the same one can be ashamed of wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/what-is-cowardice-in-the-young-is-wisdom-in-the-old-but-all-the-same/)

[Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/)

[Browse all 24,117 Wisdom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming majority of individuals will prove incapable of resisting the voice of the culture that surrounds them: in the typical case, their values, their beliefs, indeed, their very perceptions will tend to mirror those of the surrounding culture.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Liz Wiseman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelming-majority-of-individuals/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Wisdom"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelming-majority-of-individuals/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/liz-wiseman-4720_wisdom_plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelmi_2019629.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming majority of individuals will prove incapable of resisting the…” — Liz Wiseman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Liz Wiseman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wiseman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Plato offers this insight: “The overwhelming...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelming-majority-of-individuals/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wiseman/plato-offers-this-insight-the-overwhelming-majority-of-individuals/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
