--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: consensus fallacy—the idea that if many…" description: "\"“consensus fallacy—the idea that if many people believe something, some position, or some ideology, it must be true. Consensus”\" — MJ DeMarco" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc1/mj-demarco-39133_quote_consensus-fallacy-the-idea-that-if-many_1617450.jpg" --- # consensus fallacy—the idea that if many people believe… ![“consensus fallacy—the idea that if many people believe something, some position, or some ideology, it must be true. Consensus” quote by MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc1/mj-demarco-39133_quote_consensus-fallacy-the-idea-that-if-many_1617450.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc1/mj-demarco-39133_quote_consensus-fallacy-the-idea-that-if-many_1617450.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc1/mj-demarco-39133_quote_consensus-fallacy-the-idea-that-if-many_1617450.jpg) > ““consensus fallacy—the idea that if many people believe something, some position, or some ideology, it must be true. Consensus”” [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The consensus fallacy assumes popularity equals truth, ignoring evidence and minority perspectives. **In simple terms:** Popularity ≠ truth. Key Takeaway Question popular opinions. Themes critical thinking truth social influence Mood skeptical inquisitive Type psychological educational When to use this quote - media consumption - political debates - product reviews Key Concepts cognitive bias groupthink Questions to Reflect On - When have you followed a popular view that proved wrong? - How can you spot consensus bias? A Different Perspective Consensus can sometimes reflect genuine insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) [Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallacy/) ## Related quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Every liberal position is built on a fallacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cuccinelli/every-liberal-position-is-built-on-a-fallacy/) [Ken Cuccinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cuccinelli/) > [The need of reason is not inspired by the quest for truth but by the quest for meaning. 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L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Since the time of Plato and Aristotle philosophers have had an interest in taking note of common fallacies in reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-marlin/since-the-time-of-plato-and-aristotle-philosophers-have-had-an/) [Randal Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randal-marlin/) > [Zoocentrism is the primary fallacy of human sociobiology, for this view of human behavior rests on the argument that if the actions of "lower"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/zoocentrism-is-the-primary-fallacy-of-human-sociobiology-for-this/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. It is not considered sufficient that the law should guarantee to every citizen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/here-i-encounter-the-most-popular-fallacy-of-our-times-it-is-not/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [If I am ever obscure in my expressions, do not fancy that therefore I am deep. If I were really deep, all the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/if-i-am-ever-obscure-in-my-expressions-do-not-fancy-that-therefore-i/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [By committing the scientific method to religious claims you're committing a logical fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/by-committing-the-scientific-method-to-religious-claims-you-re/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [There's a fallacy with stand up comedy, which is, people come up to comedians, and they go, 'You say what I think but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/there-s-a-fallacy-with-stand-up-comedy-which-is-people-come-up-to/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) > [Life may be miraculous in its unlikelihood in the universe, but it would be a fallacy to suggest that its rareness makes it inextinguishable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/life-may-be-miraculous-in-its-unlikelihood-in-the-universe-but-it/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“Every argument against the God of the Bible is based on made-up stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petros-scientia/every-argument-against-the-god-of-the-bible-is-based-on-made-up-stuff/) Petros Scientia ## More by MJ DeMarco > [“Thou shalt not invest in a needless business. Thou shalt not trade time for money. Thou shalt not operate on a limited scale. Thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/thou-shalt-not-invest-in-a-needless-business-thou-shalt-not-trade/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“Pick up any book about personal finance and you’re likely to read a 200-page mind-fuck about being cheap. Of course, these books don’t overtly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/pick-up-any-book-about-personal-finance-and-you-re-likely-to-read-a/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully and unawaredly enslave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/the-ideal-tyranny-is-that-which-is-ignorantly-self-administered-by/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/those-who-are-able-to-see-beyond-the-shadows-and-lies-of-their/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“you are owned by your shit, which is owned by your debt, which is either owned or profited by a corporation. So you work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/you-are-owned-by-your-shit-which-is-owned-by-your-debt-which-is/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“Many people want to change their life, but they are not will to change their choices, and ultimately this changes nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/many-people-want-to-change-their-life-but-they-are-not-will-to-change/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“Want to see how the investment income changes with a change in principal? Simply divide the figures by the change in principal. With a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/want-to-see-how-the-investment-income-changes-with-a-change-in/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“(M)ediocre, (O)bedient, (D)ependent, (E)ntertained, and (L)ifeless and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/m-ediocre-o-bedient-d-ependent-e-ntertained-and-l-ifeless-and/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“The problem is not people being educated. The problem is that they are educated just enough to believe what they've been taught, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/the-problem-is-not-people-being-educated-the-problem-is-that-they-are/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) > [“We are not taught to be thinkers, but reflectors of our culture. Let’s teach our children to be thinkers. ~ Jacque Fresco, Futurist”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mj-demarco/we-are-not-taught-to-be-thinkers-but-reflectors-of-our-culture-let-s-2/) [MJ DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) [Explore all 11 MJ DeMarco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mj-demarco/) ## More Consensus quotes > [There are dangers in consensus: it could be an attempt to satisfy people holding no particular views about anything. ... No great party can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/there-are-dangers-in-consensus-it-could-be-an-attempt-to-satisfy/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [The "family" has clearly emerged anew in the late 1970s as a central subject for discussion, debate, research and writing in bothscholarly and popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/the-family-has-clearly-emerged-anew-in-the-late-1970s-as-a-central/) Sheila Kamerman > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [The vision of extraordinary achievement is,by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/the-vision-of-extraordinary-achievement-is-by-definition-a-few-steps/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [The scientific consensus is that climate change is real, urgent, and caused by humans. This science should be both supported and understood by anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/the-scientific-consensus-is-that-climate-change-is-real-urgent-and/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [People of good character are not all going to come down on the same side of difficult political and social issues. Good people-people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bennett/people-of-good-character-are-not-all-going-to-come-down-on-the-same/) [William Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bennett/) > [Effectively, change is almost impossible without industry-wide collaboration, cooperation and consensus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/effectively-change-is-almost-impossible-without-industry-wide/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [Those who know that the consensus of many centuries has sanctioned the conception that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/those-who-know-that-the-consensus-of-many-centuries-has-sanctioned/) [Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/) > [The culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse population of Indian and Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir has been unable to reach a consensus on the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyla-ali-khan/the-culturally-linguistically-and-religiously-diverse-population-of/) [Nyla Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyla-ali-khan/) > [We are in a crisis today because the practical consensus between the left and the right, linking economic efficiency with social protection, has broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-glucksmann/we-are-in-a-crisis-today-because-the-practical-consensus-between-the/) Andre Glucksmann > [That tertiary education is under a sustained assault by a political and - it often seems - social consensus that equates all education with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/that-tertiary-education-is-under-a-sustained-assault-by-a-political/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [Our normal expectations about reality are created by a social consensus. We are taught how to see and understand the world. The trick of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/our-normal-expectations-about-reality-are-created-by-a-social/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [I always worked as an individual artist even when Group Material asked me to join the group. There are certain things that I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-gonzalez-torres/i-always-worked-as-an-individual-artist-even-when-group-material/) Felix Gonzalez-Torres > [“But perhaps the greatest threat is that we lack the mechanism of consensus, a way of making up our collective minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-greenleaf/but-perhaps-the-greatest-threat-is-that-we-lack-the-mechanism-of/) [Robert K. Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-greenleaf/) > [There's a growing consensus that the best way to defeat communism in Cuba is to get its citizens hooked on American goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/there-s-a-growing-consensus-that-the-best-way-to-defeat-communism-in/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) [Browse all 564 Consensus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“consensus fallacy—the idea that if many people believe something, some position, or some ideology, it must be true. 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