Bandwagonning

Have you ever bought a book just because it was on the best-seller list? You might have succumbed to the bandwagon fallacy. 

Also called the appeal to common belief or the appeal to popularity, it is used to convince someone that something is true (or untrue) simply because lots of people think it is (1). There is nothing wrong with popular things (popular things are often popular for a reason!), but the fallacy lies in claiming that because it is popular, then it must be true (1,2,3,4,5). It is a mental shortcut: if many people believe it, it is easier for our brain to assume it must be right than to take the time to question and fact check it (4). 

Think of it this way: There was a time when the most popular belief was that the Earth was flat. Today, the popular belief is that it’s round (it’s actually an irregularly shaped ellipsoid, but you get the idea!) (6). Both were popular theories, but only one is actually backed by facts. 

Similarly, lots of people believe they need supplements to be healthy. However, science has said time and again that most people don’t need supplements if they eat a healthy diet and that they can even be harmful and dangerous (7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15). 

Others jump on the bandwagon to fit in, or out of fear of missing out (4,5). If we see protein enriched products everywhere, then surely it must mean most people must not eat enough right? In reality, most people in Canada already get enough protein through their usual meals. For most Canadian adults, protein intake is not a major concern (16,17), even if protein-enriched products are everywhere (check out our latest post on protein consumption!).

Next time someone tells you “Everyone knows that…” or “people say…” ask yourself (and maybe ask them too!): “Am I believing this because lots of people believe it is true/untrue or because there are facts backing it up?” (3).