"But everyone says so!"

Started by Poki May 28th, 2014 8:55 AM
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Poki

Banned

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Seen February 20th, 2020
Posted September 21st, 2015
2,423 posts
9.8 Years
"But everyone says so! Therefore it must be true!"

Before you judge something/agree with everybody else, you need stop and think a little. The majority could be wrong. A lot of people seem to forget that.

Why do most people side with the majority without looking into the problem by themselves first?
Are you like that? Explain why you are/are not.


Not deep enough for D&D, so I'm leaving it here.

Pinkie-Dawn

Vampire Waifu

Age 30
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California
Seen February 16th, 2021
Posted May 16th, 2019
9,528 posts
10.5 Years
Most people side with the majority, because they usually think the majority is always right, when it's actually the complete opposite, according to the internet community. I tend to switch sides often depending on the situation and number of evidence given to make their opinions legit. I do not wish to part of a group that fails to do any research on certain subjects but still try to shove their opinions down on everyone's throats, which I happen to see at the Pokémon subforums, Video Games section, and D&D section.

Poki

Banned

България
Seen February 20th, 2020
Posted September 21st, 2015
2,423 posts
9.8 Years
Most people side with the majority, because they usually think the majority is always right, when it's actually the complete opposite, according to the internet community. I tend to switch sides often depending on the situation and number of evidence given to make their opinions legit. I do not wish to part of a group that fails to do any research on certain subjects but still try to shove their opinions down on everyone's throats, which I happen to see at the Pokémon subforums, Video Games section, and D&D section.
*cough* Religion *cough*

Ah, D&D. Always full of BS. :')

Oryx

CoquettishCat

Age 30
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Seen January 30th, 2015
Posted December 27th, 2014
13,184 posts
12.2 Years
I do not wish to part of a group that fails to do any research on certain subjects but still try to shove their opinions down on everyone's throats, which I happen to see at the Pokémon subforums, Video Games section, and D&D section.
Ah, D&D. Always full of BS. :')
You guys should keep in mind that you're talking about real people here, not emotionless robots that don't care whether or not you insult them out of the blue for no reason. :/

One of the biggest issues with following the majority is that no one ever knows the real majority; they only know the majority of the people who expressed an opinion. It's one of the biggest flaws in sociological studies, and it's a common problem in online reviews too; only the very bad and the very good are going to go out of their way to leave a review, so if you took the majority from online reviews you're not taking the majority of people that went to that place.

Thus the idea of majority opinion is, most of the time, completely meaningless and really shouldn't be taken into consideration. There's an exception, however, for scientific consensus; peer-reviewed science is able to be replicated and often is more complex than the average person could handle. I don't need to send my own probe to the sun to believe what science tells me it's made of.


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Nick

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Posted July 28th, 2021
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One of the biggest issues with following the majority is that no one ever knows the real majority; they only know the majority of the people who expressed an opinion. It's one of the biggest flaws in sociological studies, and it's a common problem in online reviews too; only the very bad and the very good are going to go out of their way to leave a review, so if you took the majority from online reviews you're not taking the majority of people that went to that place.
This is exactly how I feel about it as well.

I only express my opinion on things - outside of this forum - if I am completely opposed to something, or all for. If there's a like option available, I'll just like it more often than not, but that's usually the end of it for me. I do my best, before forming an opinion, to consider all the possible sides. Maybe that's why I'm so indecisive. I over-examine the what ifs and buts more than I really should.

Sonata

Don't let me disappear

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Indiana
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Posted March 25th, 2023
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Most of the time with a lot of things that people say "But everyone says so!" I side with because it's true. But then obvious things it's like eh, no. Then I'll think differently.

The Void

hiiiii

Male
MOTHA RUSSIA
Seen May 29th, 2019
Posted August 9th, 2015
1,416 posts
13 Years
Why do most people side with the majority without looking into the problem by themselves first?

Because most people believe in what society tells them. This is very bad, because society has a standard of everything -- a standard of beauty, a standard of intelligence, etc. and this leads a lot of people to believe they are ugly, stupid, or whatever when the truth is everyone is beautiful and intelligent in his/her own way ;)

And peer pressure. People just want to "fit in" so they follow whatever's trending, like YOLO.

Are you like that? Explain why you are/are not.

I don't care what society thinks of me. I am who I am, and I'm not here to compete with or to be better than others, but to be the best me I am.

“You are you and that is true, there's no one in the world who's you-er than you.”
Όφις ην μη φάγη όφιν, δράκων ου γενήσεται.

Trev

i gave you everything...

Age 26
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Seen December 31st, 2021
Posted March 27th, 2019
1,505 posts
11 Years
People generally side with a majority because there's more backup as opposed to the minority. If two groups of people are arguing, one group a lone person, the other a group of five, it'll be harder to side with the loner because only they would back you up, as opposed to the five others you'll get from the other group. Siding with a majority is a safe choice, but it's not always right.

I'm not like that. The only time I'm sided with a majority is if the majority coincidentally believes what I believe, which rarely happens.
Male
Somewhere in the universe
Seen June 2nd, 2015
Posted November 25th, 2014
666 posts
9.6 Years
Going with the crowd... Not the thing I do. I usually don't try to go with the crowd or what the crowd believes because I would prefer to access the situation first. Sometimes the crowd is right, sometimes not. If everyone is doing it, that doesn't mean I'll do it.

I will hav to disagree with most of you here. Religion and following the crowd usually don't go together. The majority believe in the Big Bang. If it says a fact in a museum, WOW!, it must be true! WOW! If most scientists believe it, it must be true! No. Not neccessarily. Everyone used to think the world was flat. It was wrong. Our scientists will be wrong again.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who ever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

I believe in Jesus Christ my Savior. If you do too, and aren't scared to admit it, then copy and paste this in your signature.

Member of the Christian Community!

Oryx

CoquettishCat

Age 30
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Seen January 30th, 2015
Posted December 27th, 2014
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Going with the crowd... Not the thing I do. I usually don't try to go with the crowd or what the crowd believes because I would prefer to access the situation first. Sometimes the crowd is right, sometimes not. If everyone is doing it, that doesn't mean I'll do it.

I will hav to disagree with most of you here. Religion and following the crowd usually don't go together. The majority believe in the Big Bang. If it says a fact in a museum, WOW!, it must be true! WOW! If most scientists believe it, it must be true! No. Not neccessarily. Everyone used to think the world was flat. It was wrong. Our scientists will be wrong again.
Religion is literally massive crowds of people affirming that they all believe in the exact same thing, complete with encouraging children too young to decide for themselves to affirm the same things through church attendance and in many cases rites performed on them when they're too young to consent.

If everyone in a religion was free to interpret the religion in the way they feel is right and was actually old enough when they decided to join that they could make a reasoned decision, it might not be a "following the crowd" decision. But that's not the case.


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Candy

Age 26
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Haha, screw taking sides, I side with myself. Who cares about whether other people's opinions are considered the right one for the majority, I decide which one I consider the correct thing.

Basically, I don't get influenced on how the majority thinks and side on whatever I think is correct.
_
Zhuang Zi
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Seen September 18th, 2020
Posted February 18th, 2018
7,741 posts
16.6 Years
I expect most anyone on this site would tell you they are minority thinkers. Yet, while a minority of all people frequent TPC, but there are still majority opinions within the community. And then each clique within the community has its own prevailing opinion. People seek to band together in unanimity even down to the one-to-one level. Of course, why wouldn't you want to? No one does well for living with hostility. We want to live in harmony, and this is really the simplest way to go about it.

So, am I this way? If my observation of it as a matter of human social nature is true, I must be.
Male
Seen August 13th, 2014
Posted August 13th, 2014
72 posts
9.1 Years
"But everyone says so! Therefore it must be true!"

Before you judge something/agree with everybody else, you need stop and think a little. The majority could be wrong. A lot of people seem to forget that.

Why do most people side with the majority without looking into the problem by themselves first?
Are you like that? Explain why you are/are not.


Not deep enough for D&D, so I'm leaving it here.
Yup. Some people need to be more open-mided.

Khoshi

とてもかわいい!

Age 24
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Seen January 3rd, 2020
Posted October 16th, 2019
2,646 posts
10.1 Years
I'm generally too neutral to side with anyone, but if I did have to pick a side, I'd find some facts, then join the debate.
I rarely go with the majority, for all we know they probably jumped the bandwagon. People side with the majority due to influence, they get pulled into their ideas by what they say, and in turn believe what they have said and join their side. Hitler did it, so do most people on the net who try to argue their point.
Male
Somewhere in the universe
Seen June 2nd, 2015
Posted November 25th, 2014
666 posts
9.6 Years
Religion is literally massive crowds of people affirming that they all believe in the exact same thing, complete with encouraging children too young to decide for themselves to affirm the same things through church attendance and in many cases rites performed on them when they're too young to consent.

If everyone in a religion was free to interpret the religion in the way they feel is right and was actually old enough when they decided to join that they could make a reasoned decision, it might not be a "following the crowd" decision. But that's not the case.
I think some religions differ. I won't be naming specific ones, but some will require you to, some will kill you if you don't (it's loosened in modern times, thankfully), and some give you the choice. Yes, your choice is influenced by others. It's ultimately the persons decision. It's encouraged, but that goes with just about everything. Not just religion.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who ever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

I believe in Jesus Christ my Savior. If you do too, and aren't scared to admit it, then copy and paste this in your signature.

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Oryx

CoquettishCat

Age 30
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Seen January 30th, 2015
Posted December 27th, 2014
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I think some religions differ. I won't be naming specific ones, but some will require you to, some will kill you if you don't (it's loosened in modern times, thankfully), and some give you the choice. Yes, your choice is influenced by others. It's ultimately the persons decision. It's encouraged, but that goes with just about everything. Not just religion.
Well, the same can be said for science and general social pressure such as standards of beauty. This isn't a thread about why you do things that will cause you death if you don't, it's why someone would follow a crowd. You're moving the goalposts; religion is just as much following a crowd as only listening to pop music, regardless of whether or not you're capable of making another decision.

I know you're very tie to your religion so to hear it described as a social pressure like anything else makes you want to jump to defend it, but it is in reality another social pressure. You don't have to threaten death or prohibit different decisions for it to be a pressure from a crowd.


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Kanzler

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Posted March 11th, 2022
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14.8 Years
I think it's rational that people decide to go with the crowd. After all, who has the time to think of things for themselves? People have to get on with life and it takes a lot of time to sit things down and think things through. If it works for most people, it might just work for you.

People comparing themselves with a majority is just a dynamic between wanting to feel accepted and wanting to feel unique. Some people disagree with the majority, no matter how ludicrous their perspective may be, just to feel solace in disagreement. Everybody wants to be special. Our self-esteem is in a way predicated on how much of a special snowflake we are.

Besides, most people have beliefs that are not justified. Just because one believes something that is readily accepted does not mean that they are any better than a person who believes something that isn't. What is meaningful to me is whether they can justify it.

It is easy to shop for beliefs - freedom and the internet means they are plentiful - but it takes time and effort to consider and digest them.
Male
Somewhere in the universe
Seen June 2nd, 2015
Posted November 25th, 2014
666 posts
9.6 Years
Well, the same can be said for science and general social pressure such as standards of beauty. This isn't a thread about why you do things that will cause you death if you don't, it's why someone would follow a crowd. You're moving the goalposts; religion is just as much following a crowd as only listening to pop music, regardless of whether or not you're capable of making another decision.

I know you're very tie to your religion so to hear it described as a social pressure like anything else makes you want to jump to defend it, but it is in reality another social pressure. You don't have to threaten death or prohibit different decisions for it to be a pressure from a crowd.
And I agree with you. I was just stating some examples within religion as a whole. And yes- I will always jump to defend. Can it be a social pressure? Yes. Is it always? No. It is what you truly believe on the inside. I think if the social pressures were around you, you may be inclined to believe it. You may truly believe, however, in something else. Do you see what in saying? I agree with you about the death part.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who ever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

I believe in Jesus Christ my Savior. If you do too, and aren't scared to admit it, then copy and paste this in your signature.

Member of the Christian Community!

starseed galaxy auticorn

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18.9 Years
I think it's just an instinct we have to do that. I notice a lot of people in my life have been really gullible about things they've heard. Kind of like the whole issue over the world ends every time something happens. Such as when the red moon hit, people started thinking the world would end or that it would end December 12 2013.

I imagine those people feel pretty stupid, but yeah.

I get that way, but it's only because sometimes my anxiety gets the best of me. I try not to believe everything I hear from people unless I hear it in the news somewhere or whatever.