If the Shoe Fits: the Stupidity of Crowds
by Miki SaxonA Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here
How much do you rely on the so-called “wisdom of crowds” when you’re making decisions?
Do you think for yourself or check everything, from where to eat to the best language to use, against the “wisdom of crowds?”
If this election taught you nothing else it should have taught you that crowds aren’t particularly bright.
Stupid is more accurate
When I wrote The Value of Thinking in 2013 I asked a simple question.
But what happens to the crowd when everybody stops bothering to think?
At that point the old saying, everyone has a right to be stupid, but some just abuse the privilege, kicks in with a vengeance.
In the March redux I said,
…crowdthinking has increased geometrically, while independent thinking, let alone deep thinking, has decreased in proportion. You have only to consider the questions on Quora and the crowd’s actions/reactions at any political rally to see just how bad it’s become.
From failed startups to Tuesday’s election the wisdom of crowds has led down more garden paths than can be counted.
But for the legion of readers who demand hard data to back up common sense I give you the words of Anand Sanwal and the data of CB Insights.
Can we please never utter ‘wisdom of the crowds’?
I know lots of management consultants sold corporations on this “wisdom of crowds” nonsense, but can we now stop?
Here is what the crowd thought of Trump’s chances over time.
Totally, utterly stupid crowd.
Stupid crowds do immeasurable damage.
Image credit: HikingArtist and CB Insights
