Argumentum ad Populum: Popular Doesn’t Mean Best

Argumentum ad populum is a fancy Latin term for the logical fallacy that equates popularity with truth. The thinking goes: if most people believe something is true, then it must be.

You see this all the time in technology.

Take the claim that “Eight in ten buyers choose Android.” The implication is Android must be better than iOS or Windows Phone. But that’s not necessarily so.

Many people agreeing on something doesn’t make it true. Until the Renaissance, most people believed the Sun revolved around the Earth—the idea was popular but not correct.

If eight out of ten phone buyers choose Android, that makes it the most popular choice, not necessarily the best one. Similarly, if every person in a business lounge is working on a MacBook, it might suggest MacBooks are popular in that setting, but it doesn’t mean they’re the best laptops overall.

Eight out of ten cats prefer Whiskas

Advertising thrives on argumentum ad populum. Older readers might recall ads with slogans like “Eight out of ten cats prefer Whiskas.” The appeal is that if “everyone” likes it, you should too.

This fallacy banks on the “wisdom of crowds”—the idea that the collective opinion is often right. And while it can be, it’s not always so. Popularity also brings implied peer pressure, as people like to feel they’re on the winning side.

It gets complicated because, with technology, popularity has benefits. A popular OS supports a larger app ecosystem and community. A popular product means more peer reviews and a bigger user base to flag issues quickly. And, of course, economies of scale can lower prices.

Buying a popular product may have advantages, but remember: popularity doesn’t always equal quality.