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Is majority/popular opinion always right?

Is majority/popular opinion always right?

  • Yes, the majority is always right.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    41

radcen

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Is majority/popular opinion always right?

This question is prompted by various current discussions regarding (in)tolerance, political correctness, specific world views, and so on. A general underlying theme seems to be that "X" is correct because most people say "X" is correct. Now, most people, I think, would deny this and insist on their absolute independence in thought, but that's not necessarily what I observe.

I guess what I'm getting at is: How often does unpopular opinion or points-of-view prove to be the correct ones in the end?
 
Uhh, of course not. What you are referring to is argumentum ad populum - appeal to the majority.

There are many situations in which unpopular opinions seem to be proven correct in the end. You see this in all facets of life - sports, politics, economics, science, etc.
 
One word "disco"
 
A thread for 41 egotists !
By the time we are finished defining terms...but its obvious...only sometimes is the majority right..there is no correlation.
 
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An opinion is an opinion whether it is shared by the majority or the minority. Opinions are neither right or wrong.
 
A mob is a majority. When the majority is united for self interested reasons, then they're selfish but when it's for the purpose of fairness they're being fair... depends on the majority and your opinion.

I never liked cliques in high school because they had superficial qualifications to become members. Though I was invited into many I thought they were kind of cruel to those (nerds) who couldn't seem to fit in. I didn't hate the cliques and had many friends in them, they were just sort of lame-o, shunning uniqueness.

But if you think the whole world is crazy and you're the only sane one, you might be wrong. :shock:
 
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The majority isnt always right....but the majority mostly rules...especially in politics which I believe we are referring to.
 
the majority mustnt have the right of being right because of their majority:)
 
Sometimes we have to protect the minority from the majority.
 
The majority does not always make something right any more than freedom of speech is absolute.
 
Mob rule is rarely a good thing, and certainly not sustainable.
 
It depends on the intellect of the majority. To wit: Islamic Fundamentalist winning elections and President Obama.
 
Uhh, of course not. What you are referring to is argumentum ad populum - appeal to the majority.

There are many situations in which unpopular opinions seem to be proven correct in the end. You see this in all facets of life - sports, politics, economics, science, etc.

Yeah... go to any local team and watch the fans boo a good call in which means their team will lose. 60,000 fans are wrong and 1 ref is right.
 
No. But how likely a majority is to indicate correctness depends on what their opinion is based on. Even if it's very good reason or evidence, that's still not a guarantee of being correct - it just up's the odds.
 
Who else finds it amusing that this thread is a poll?
 
Who else finds it amusing that this thread is a poll?
Weird, 71 people voted and only one response was correct. That's the problem with always being right, but I suppose it may be understandable since there was no Only Meathead is Right response.
 
If mass = correct...

...then yes.

You see it often, how the majority votes on our laws. Either numbers or might equals "right."
 
"If a lie is repeated 100 times, it is perceived to be a truth," and the media advertisers pay a lot of money to manage "perceptions." We'll be seeing a lot of it this coming year. An election year. There will be lots of opinions, but everyone will be wrong because noone will have truth to work with. However, a majority will be correct by default, or not. Just look back a little. We suffered eight years of GWShiiteForBrains, tax cuts that did not create jobs and now the GWSoupForBrains Great Depression and the majority ruled. Were they right?????
 
"If a lie is repeated 100 times, it is perceived to be a truth," and the media advertisers pay a lot of money to manage "perceptions."

Exactly... where were the WMD's again?
 
Is majority/popular opinion always right?

This question is prompted by various current discussions regarding (in)tolerance, political correctness, specific world views, and so on. A general underlying theme seems to be that "X" is correct because most people say "X" is correct. Now, most people, I think, would deny this and insist on their absolute independence in thought, but that's not necessarily what I observe.

I guess what I'm getting at is: How often does unpopular opinion or points-of-view prove to be the correct ones in the end?
Very small minorities suggest or set new directions. Majorities can select between proposed new directions if allowed. However it’s a minority of the majority that does the analysis or applies dogma which directs, moves, them into what becomes the majority. An unpopular new direction is only set by a minority doing analysis and changing their position.
 
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