FILE SELECTED // FILE 00
False Consensus Effect
“Your choice feels reasonable. How many other people do you imagine choosing exactly the same?”
01 / SUMMARY
In short
People tend to overestimate how widely others share their choices, preferences, or beliefs. Exposure to similar circles and the ease of justifying one's own position can feed that estimate.
03 / SCENE
In the wild
Someone who always works remotely may assume almost the entire office prefers it because their closest colleagues do too.
04 / LIMIT
The limit
It does not make every perceived majority imaginary; sometimes we do have representative information about a group.
FINAL NOTE
What remains
Replace “everyone thinks” with a clear survey or, at minimum, seek answers beyond your usual circle.