T he “wisdom of crowds” has debunked itself. The wisdom of crowds has brought us failure after failure, whether it is trampling people on Black Friday, giving snake-oil salesmen the nuclear launch codes, or cultish groupthink where a herd of people blindly follow each other off a cliff.
The public is led by tabloid reporting and professional liars. Impossible promises and dapper style is all it takes for a suave saviour to bewitch the public. The collective IQ plunges when a powerful leader flatters the masses. This is no way to make important decisions.
The wisdom of crowds is deranged. Democracy has proved that the wisdom of crowds gives us empty suits for leaders—people who specialize in shaking hands. It’s not wisdom at all; it’s just mob rule.
