Egotistical Google Experts

[SnailyBoy]

e.g. enough people say the same thing on SF. The likely consensus is that its true. It may not be true however. One person saying it, doesnt hold same weight.

 

What you are describing is mob rule or mob politics. Like when an incident occurs e.g London riots, and everyone joins in whether right or wrong.

 

That's a logical fallacy - appeal to popularity

[RootsBooster]

e.g. enough people say the same thing on SF. The likely consensus is that its true. It may not be true however. One person saying it, doesnt hold same weight.

You keep saying that but you don't seem to be able to explain why you think this is so.

What you are describing is mob rule or mob politics. Like when an incident occurs e.g London riots, and everyone joins in whether right or wrong.

Herd/mob mentality is the umbrella under which mob rule and politics fall, but the former is not the latter.

 

There's plenty of people who agree on things simply because so many others do. Your statement here...

enough people say the same thing on SF. The likely consensus is that its true

..is an example of how easily people are inclined to accept a 'herd' belief as true simply because of the size of the herd. Once you accept the belief/opinion/trend you become part of the herd, increasing its size. Would that increase in popular belief make it even more true?

[TJC1]

At one point it was the popular opinion that the earth was flat. It didn't make it true though.

 

galileo was derided, called mad. But he stuck to his guns and was proven right.

Like I say, popular opinion is not always correct.

[RootsBooster]

That's a logical fallacy - appeal to popularity

 

I pointed this out earlier in the thread but for some reason a bunch of (on-topic) post have been removed, including that one.

 

Appeal to popularity (link)

 

---------- Post added 20-08-2015 at 14:39 ----------

 

galileo was derided, called mad. But he stuck to his guns and was proven right.

Like I say, popular opinion is not always correct.

 

But what you are saying is that it in most cases it's safe to assume it is correct.

[TJC1]

You keep saying that but you don't seem to be able to explain why you think this is so.

 

Herd/mob mentality is the umbrella under which mob rule and politics fall, but the former is not the latter.

 

There's plenty of people who agree on things simply because so many others do. Your statement here...

 

..is an example of how easily people are inclined to accept a 'herd' belief as true simply because of the size of the herd. Once you accept the belief/opinion/trend you become part of the herd, increasing its size. Would that increase in popular belief make it even more true?

 

strawman argument. In this case, enough people come on SF with a similar story - we are more inclined to believe it's true - yes or no?

 

does it make it MORE true? yes, it does. The likelihood of it being true increases.

 

e.g.

member 1

I had an accident on the A23, that corner is really slippy due to black ice.

member 2

I also had an accident there, skidded on black ice.

etc. and so on.

 

 

The likelihood is there is black ice on the A23 and it's likely to cause accidents.

[SnailyBoy]

galileo was derided, called mad. But he stuck to his guns and was proven right.

Like I say, popular opinion is not always correct.

 

Where did you say that?

[TJC1]

 

But what you are saying is that it in most cases it's safe to assume it is correct.

 

No, i said it's more likely to be correct. See above.

 

---------- Post added 20-08-2015 at 14:47 ----------

 

Where did you say that?

 

post #140

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by RootsBooster View Post

Only part-quoting me to change to context of my post?

 

I'm afraid not, that's called an appeal to popularity and holds no water.

 

If 200 people all agree that they can breathe underwater without any apparatus, it does not make them correct.

 

Fine. However the likely consensus is that it must be true. Of course it may not be.

 

---------- Post added 20-08-2015 at 14:50 ----------

 

proving the point thus. A singular anecdote is valid but not as valid as multiple of the same or similar anecdotes.

And multiple anecdotes are more likely to be true, the consensus is more likely that they are true.

Edited August 20, 2015 by TJC1
......

[RootsBooster]

No, i said it's more likely to be correct. See above.

...which amounts to the same thing. The question remains, how did you come to this conclusion?

proving the point thus. A singular anecdote is valid but not as valid as multiple of the same or similar anecdotes.

And multiple anecdotes are more likely to be true, the consensus is more likely that they are true.

 

Could you point out exactly where this proof is? I must have missed it

[TJC1]

...which amounts to the same thing. The question remains, how did you come to this conclusion?

 

 

Could you point out exactly where this proof is? I must have missed it

 

sigh...doesnt matter.

[SnailyBoy]

sigh...doesnt matter.

 

This rings a bell