Most big ideas that spread like wildfire across popular media are not actually that popular.

With the modern internet, clickbait, sensationalism, and attention-seeking trolls who like to throw gasoline on a fire just to watch it burn, opinions and ideas tend to get out of hand.

Because of the fast growth and spread of these thoughts, it gives the illusion that most people believe them.

But this is rarely the case.

It’s a result of the conditions rather than the reality. More often than not, it’s the vocal minority who truly believe.

Most people don’t have a public voice or don’t care enough to speak it.

The next time you feel pressure to follow a belief that appears popular in the moment, consider that you might just be one of the many others — a part of the silent majority.