The bandwagon fallacy is also sometimes called the appeal to common belief or appeal to the masses because it’s all about getting people to do or think something because “everyone else is doing it” or “everything else thinks this.” The bandwagon fallacy presumes that because a position is popular, it must therefore be correct.
In our comic, we see how a bandwagon fallacy is used to close the discussion on an issue.
For a screen reader compatible slideshow version of the comic, please click through the below images:
Social pressures can make it easy to fall into a bandwagon fallacy. Growing up, did you ever tell your parents that “all your friends” were doing something? And did they respond with wisdom along the lines of “If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do that too?” That cliche is an early lesson in the bandwagon fallacy. The popularity of a position does not necessarily dictate its correctness.
However, it’s also important to remember that the popularity of a position doesn’t inherently disprove it, either. If you’re focused too much on being a contrarian, you might miss occasions when the wisdom of the crowd is actually correct. Overall, it’s best to focus on facts and logic rather than an ideas popularity.