--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see something happen to a population…" description: "\"You see something happen to a population whereby everyone adopts something that's just preposterous in a way that makes it normal instantly. If any one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/steve-albini-10003_adopt_you-see-something-happen-to-a-population_273463.jpg" --- # You see something happen to a population whereby everyone… ![“You see something happen to a population whereby everyone adopts something that's just preposterous in a way that makes it normal instantly. If any one person prior to the rash of puka shells, for example, was seen wearing puka shells, he would look like an idiot. But when everyone is wearing…” quote by Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/steve-albini-10003_adopt_you-see-something-happen-to-a-population_273463.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/steve-albini-10003_adopt_you-see-something-happen-to-a-population_273463.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/142/steve-albini-10003_adopt_you-see-something-happen-to-a-population_273463.jpg) > “You see something happen to a population whereby everyone adopts something that's just preposterous in a way that makes it normal instantly. If any one person prior to the rash of puka shells, for example, was seen wearing puka shells, he would look like an idiot. But when everyone is wearing them, it instantly makes them normal.” [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social conformity makes absurd trends appear normal when widely adopted, overriding individual judgment. **In simple terms:** People accept weirdness when everyone does it. Key Takeaway Question group norms before following. Themes conformity social influence norms Mood critical observational Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - fashion trends - viral memes - marketing campaigns - social media challenges Key Concepts group dynamics peer pressure cultural diffusion Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish personal taste from herd behavior? - When does conformity become harmful? A Different Perspective Individual insight can be lost in mass adoption. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adopt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopt/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Everyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyone/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [For example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/for-example/) [Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Idiot Wearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot-wearing-2668455/) [Instantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instantly/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Makes Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-normal-1926236/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal Instantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-instantly-2668456/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Preposterous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preposterous/) [Prior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prior/) [Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rash/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen/) [Shells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shells/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wearing/) [Wearing Puka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wearing-puka-2668454/) [Whereby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whereby/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [What makes us the most normal," said Reiko, "is knowing that we're not normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/what-makes-us-the-most-normal-said-reiko-is-knowing-that-we-re-not/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You're weird," she said, falling asleep. "But that's okay. It makes me seem normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-crowley/you-re-weird-she-said-falling-asleep-but-that-s-okay-it-makes-me-seem/) [Cath Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-crowley/) > [What makes us normal is knowing that we're not normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-makes-us-normal-is-knowing-that-we-re-not-normal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Useful Idiot: The one that by wearing a white apron, having a college degree, working for the government or following governmental laws, immediately and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/useful-idiot-the-one-that-by-wearing-a-white-apron-having-a-college/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [If you feel like an idiot wearing neon yellow shorts, you shouldn't wear them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-agdal/if-you-feel-like-an-idiot-wearing-neon-yellow-shorts-you-shouldn-t/) [Nina Agdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-agdal/) > [Howard Dean is no longer the brilliant mastermind of the Fifty State Strategy that enabled the Democrats to storm the White House and Congress.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/howard-dean-is-no-longer-the-brilliant-mastermind-of-the-fifty-state/) [Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/) > [I was an absolute idiot, wearing polo-necks, reading Kerouac, watching Woody Allen movies, and jazz fitted right into all of that. My interest in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-cullum/i-was-an-absolute-idiot-wearing-polo-necks-reading-kerouac-watching/) [Jamie Cullum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-cullum/) > [Some people have heard of The Method, which originally goes back to Stanislavski... he gave you six major pointers whereby you became that character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wenham/some-people-have-heard-of-the-method-which-originally-goes-back-to/) [David Wenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wenham/) > [Ever since the Enlightenment, people thought that we were living in a rational universe. They thought that God was a mathematician and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/ever-since-the-enlightenment-people-thought-that-we-were-living-in-a/) [Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/) > [Conventional forms of narrative allow for different points of view, but for this book I wanted a structure whereby each of the main characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/conventional-forms-of-narrative-allow-for-different-points-of-view/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) > [I believe employment regulations for women, whereby the prospective employer is not able to inquire about the interviewee's status regarding children, childcare, or indeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sugar/i-believe-employment-regulations-for-women-whereby-the-prospective/) [Alan Sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sugar/) > [Diabetes is a great example whereby, giving the patient the tools, you can manage yourself very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/diabetes-is-a-great-example-whereby-giving-the-patient-the-tools-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Speech was given to the ordinary sort or men, whereby to communicate their mind; but to wise men, whereby to conceal it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-south/speech-was-given-to-the-ordinary-sort-or-men-whereby-to-communicate/) [Robert South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-south/) > [The interesting question would be whether there's a Darwinian process, a kind of selection process whereby some memes are more likely to spread than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-interesting-question-would-be-whether-there-s-a-darwinian-process/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Prayer is a specific divine appointment, an ordinance of Heaven, whereby God purposes to carry out His gracious designs on earth and to execute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-is-a-specific-divine-appointment-an-ordinance-of-heaven/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) ## More by Steve Albini > [When people are absurdly tall, they command everyone's attention when they walk into a room. Nobody's ever dismissive of somebody for being too tall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/when-people-are-absurdly-tall-they-command-everyone-s-attention-when/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [Clip your year-end column and put it away for 10 years. See if you don’t feel like an idiot when you reread it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/clip-your-year-end-column-and-put-it-away-for-10-years-see-if-you-don/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [I'm only interested in working on records that legitimately reflect the band's own perception of their music and existence. If you commit yourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/i-m-only-interested-in-working-on-records-that-legitimately-reflect/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [The woman I am currently crazy about was a vegetarian for a year until I started dating her. As is the case with most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/the-woman-i-am-currently-crazy-about-was-a-vegetarian-for-a-year/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/by-now-all-rock-bands-are-wise-enough-to-be-suspicious-of-music/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [Suicide was such a formative band for me, so influential in the development of my taste. They're one of those bands that operated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/suicide-was-such-a-formative-band-for-me-so-influential-in-the/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [I feel like bands should be growing, living, functioning entities and to crystallize a band into a single album, and for that to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/i-feel-like-bands-should-be-growing-living-functioning-entities-and/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [When I'm in a restaurant, I don't eat red meat. It doesn't taste like anything. But if a friend of mine is grilling stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/when-i-m-in-a-restaurant-i-don-t-eat-red-meat-it-doesn-t-taste-like/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [Cooking is about presenting flavors and other aspects of food in a way that makes best use of them and makes an engaging, satisfying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/cooking-is-about-presenting-flavors-and-other-aspects-of-food-in-a/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/in-heaven-after-antipasti-the-first-course-will-be-pasta/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [I'm not a particularly good cook. Part of it is that it is the kind of cooking anybody could do if they bothered. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/i-m-not-a-particularly-good-cook-part-of-it-is-that-it-is-the-kind-of/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [Doubt the conventional wisdom unless you can verify it with reason and experiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/doubt-the-conventional-wisdom-unless-you-can-verify-it-with-reason/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [I'm busy doing my job, and being a loudmouth doesn't appeal to me as much as when I was younger and had the youthful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/i-m-busy-doing-my-job-and-being-a-loudmouth-doesn-t-appeal-to-me-as/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [There won't ever be a mass-market record industry again, and that's fine with me because that industry didn't operate for the benefit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/there-won-t-ever-be-a-mass-market-record-industry-again-and-that-s/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) > [Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-albini/make-no-mistake-about-it-once-a-band-has-signed-a-letter-of-intent/) [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) [Explore all 68 Steve Albini quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) ## More Adopt quotes > [If it was possible for me to adopt, I probably would, but no one's going to let me adopt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-norton/if-it-was-possible-for-me-to-adopt-i-probably-would-but-no-one-s/) [Graham Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-norton/) > [As consumers adopt crypto, we hope that they'll also be interested in trading equities and options.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baiju-bhatt/as-consumers-adopt-crypto-we-hope-that-they-ll-also-be-interested-in/) [Baiju Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baiju-bhatt/) > [School districts in the US don't adopt technology very quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/school-districts-in-the-us-don-t-adopt-technology-very-quickly/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [Some women just skip having babies or adopt because they don't want to get fat or they haven't put in the time to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-pressly/some-women-just-skip-having-babies-or-adopt-because-they-don-t-want/) [Jaime Pressly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-pressly/) > [That's the kind of musical freedom I like: jazz, rock, blues, anything. You adopt different attitudes when you play different music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-lee/that-s-the-kind-of-musical-freedom-i-like-jazz-rock-blues-anything/) [Alvin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-lee/) > [“The best posture you can adopt when pursuing your goals is neither to stand nor sit. The best position is to STANDOUT! Everyone may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-best-posture-you-can-adopt-when-pursuing-your-goals-is-neither-to/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I've always been very curious about fringe cultures where people temporarily adopt a different social model or way of presenting themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-ve-always-been-very-curious-about-fringe-cultures-where-people/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“If the system were designed to protect adoptees, why do so many have to fight for their rights?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/if-the-system-were-designed-to-protect-adoptees-why-do-so-many-have/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [There are so many kids out there that need to be adopted and need good homes. I definitely want to have my own but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-bass/there-are-so-many-kids-out-there-that-need-to-be-adopted-and-need/) [Lance Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-bass/) > [I love spreading the word and encouraging people to adopt from their local shelters. There are so many wonderful animals waiting for loving homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ostrosky-stern/i-love-spreading-the-word-and-encouraging-people-to-adopt-from-their/) [Beth Ostrosky Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ostrosky-stern/) > [Love your neighbor as yourself. That's what we need to adopt to be a better country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-marshall/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself-that-s-what-we-need-to-adopt-to-be-a/) [Brandon Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-marshall/) > [When you adopt an animal at a shelter you are saving two lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ostrosky-stern/when-you-adopt-an-animal-at-a-shelter-you-are-saving-two-lives/) [Beth Ostrosky Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ostrosky-stern/) > [When I was growing up, I wanted to adopt, because I was aware there were kids that didn't have parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to-adopt-because-i-was-aware-there/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [“I don’t want to adopt your ideas, I want to give birth to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-don-t-want-to-adopt-your-ideas-i-want-to-give-birth-to-them/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [We've never lived in an environment in which it has been so easy to capture information and share it. That fact that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/we-ve-never-lived-in-an-environment-in-which-it-has-been-so-easy-to/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) [Browse all 195 Adopt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You see something happen to a population whereby everyone adopts something that's just preposterous in a way that makes it normal instantly. If any one person prior to the rash of puka shells, for example, was seen wearing puka shells, he would look like an idiot. 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