What would be your definition of the idea of communal wisdom?

Question

My friend and I have been throwing the idea of communal wisdom around for a couple weeks now. We both have different views on what it means, but agree that it involves "community+conversation". Please chime in with your thoughts, because what's more communal than that? Thanks for taking the time.

Answer 1

In "The Jungle Book," the monkeys say "we all say so, therefore it must be so." Unfortunately, such "communal wisdom" (I believe it is Time magazine that calls it "conventional wisdom") often is wrong. The group is not necessarily any smarter than the individual, and often much, much dumber. Ever hear of peer pressure? This is especially true the younger you are, but there is always a certain amount of "go along to get along" involved in any communal communication.

Also, using the term "communal," as in "commune," conjures up visions of communists, or at least hippie ultra liberals, who grew up to be responsible for the term "politically correct," borrowed from the central committee of the Soviet Union.

No, I would rather say that the group is often only as smart as its DUMBEST member, not its smartest.