Pluralistic Ignorance

Ignorance about what other people think, that can often result in:

• Widely held untruths
• Customs and traditions that nobody believes in
• The bystander effect

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Key Insights & Principles

Social Change

1. Many social norms persist because of ignorance about what other people believe.
2. We are often looking for social cues before we act, but fail to realise that others are doing the same.
3. Social change can occur when people are allowed or nudged to speak in accordance with their beliefs and values.
4. A few people voicing their beliefs can create a bandwagon effect that sparks large social change.
5. Regimes, practices, and untruths can persist because of a misalignment in what people say (or are allowed to say) and what they believe, causing confusion about what people actually believe.
6. Publicly sharing truth and values is enough to shatter delusion or create social change.

Book References