1 comment on “Beyond happy – the pursuit of ease erases our humanity (and liberty)”

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   Living in the uneasy place, an uncomfortable space [1] – the challenge of relying on reasoned choice rather than impulsive alignment or disengagement.

   This year’s news cycles reminded me to beware of the illusion of majority consensus. That the loud (extreme) voice of a small minority (for example, on social media) may hardly be majority consensus. In seeking to capture our attention, influencers (trolls, edgelords) can compromise our common sense – “equate the loudest voices with authority.”

   As social creatures, we are conditioned to fit in, get along – avoid social friction. Even subconsciously. But when silence is seen as complicity and “judgment is replaced by imitation,” we can align with a siloed mirage. As the author of this article points out:

   One of the most contested forms of nonconformity in our time is something quite different: having no opinion at all. … discomfort … is the seed of independent thought.

   • Big Think > The illusion of consensus is powerful. Here’s why you should fight it. by Laura Kennedy (November 27, 2025) – Group certainty is a cultural force whose “atmospheric pressure” we endlessly encounter online.

   KEY TAKEAWAYS (quoted)

   • Solomon Asch‘s famous 1951 experiment showed that the pull to conform to a group can cause us to doubt the evidence right in front of our eyes.
   • Today’s online environment intensifies this effect, allowing a small number of loud or coordinated voices to masquerade as true consensus.
   • Resisting this illusion requires embracing discomfort — questioning majority opinion, slowing down before signaling agreement, and trusting our own judgment.

   Asch watched the immense power of consensus in action, learning that most of us prefer to risk being wrong rather than oppose the majority. His experiment posed a question with no moral or political stakes. When we feel pressured to jump on a bandwagon that does carry moral stakes, we are incentivized to conform to the moral worldview of others. The pressure to agree often works in this quiet, invisible way. There is no overt force or threat, merely the felt vulnerability of setting oneself apart. The discomfort of wondering whether we’ll face consequences for holding the “wrong” view, or for simply refraining from broadcasting the “right” one. Amid all this is the doubt Asch’s students also experienced — how likely is it that we could be right when the majority insists we’re not?

   Mill’s [John Stuart Mill‘s] test of an independent mind involves taking ownership of that doubt and voicing it. We should feel encouraged, he suggests, when our friends look at us skeptically, or the WhatsApp group chat goes quiet when we politely disagree. Friction is not proof that our views are right, but it is proof that they’re being tested. Without this resistance, we can’t know whether our views are really our own, arrived at for sound, defensible reasons. Willingness to expose ourselves to this discomfort — this vulnerability — Mill tells us, is a form of discipline. To understand our beliefs, we should seriously entertain opposing ones.

   Terms (regarding social assumptions about beliefs)

   • Wiki > False consensus effect

   In psychology, the false consensus effect, also known as consensus bias, is a pervasive cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate the extent to which other people share their beliefs and views.

   This bias is especially prevalent in group settings where one thinks the collective opinion of their own group matches that of the larger population.

   • Wiki > Pluralistic ignorance (aka collective illusion) – coincidence of a belief with inaccurate perceptions

   Pluralistic ignorance can be compared with the false consensus effect. In pluralistic ignorance, people privately reject but publicly support a norm or belief. In the false consensus effect, people wrongly assume that most others think as they do and openly share that view.

   Pluralistic ignorance encompasses situations in which a minority position on a given topic is wrongly perceived to be the majority position, or the majority position is wrongly perceived to be a minority position

   
   (Image: Public Domain)

   Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes“[1837] is a fictional case of pluralistic ignorance. In the story, two con artists claim to make the finest clothes, said to be invisible to those unworthy or foolish. Out of fear of being judged, the emperor’s court and townspeople remain silent about seeing nothing until a child says that the emperor is not wearing any clothes, prompting others to acknowledge the truth.

   Tulip mania [1634] has been cited as an example of how investors can be swept up in financial frenzy due to collective illusion. Members of the Dutch elite pursued unique collections of spring-flowering bulbs, and prices rose rapidly.

   Notes

   [1] AI Overview – living in the uneasy place

   The phrase “living in the uneasy place” is a modern interpretation or summary of John Stuart Mill‘s philosophy regarding the value of intellectual discomfort and the rejection of social conformity, rather than a direct quote he used.

   Mill did not use that exact phrasing, but the concept is central to his work, particularly On Liberty and Utilitarianism. He argued that a developed, thoughtful individual would inherently experience a degree of dissatisfaction or “unease” due to a greater awareness of the world’s imperfections, and that this state is superior to placid ignorance.

   Key Quotes and Concepts

   Here are key Mill quotes that express the idea of an “uneasy place” as a necessary component of intellectual and moral development:

   • On the Superiority of Higher Faculties (from Utilitarianism)

   Mill argued that it is better to be a dissatisfied human or Socrates than a satisfied pig or fool. He believed that a highly intelligent person would recognize the inherent imperfections in the world, leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction. He also noted that individuals may turn to “inferior pleasures” if they lack the opportunity or capacity to engage in more intellectual pursuits.

   • On Individuality and the Danger of Conformity (from On Liberty)

   Mill saw custom and conformity as obstacles to human progress, emphasizing that few dare to be eccentric, which he considered a significant danger. He cautioned against the “tyranny of prevailing opinion” that suppresses individuality and diverse thought. According to Mill, conformity can lead to individuals lacking their own opinions or feelings.

   In summary, Mill’s concept of the “uneasy place” highlights the importance of intellectual engagement and resisting conformity for both personal development and the advancement of society.

   [2] Fables and fairy tales

   Wiki’s example of the fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (by Hans Christian Andersen) appears to apply for pluralistic ignorance.

   But finding a fable for the false consensus effect is unclear as yet (perhaps I need to write one, eh).

   A Google Search for “is there a fable or fairytale about the false consensus effect” returned nothing specific. The AI summary suggested “The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey” (Aesop’s Fable, aka The Miller, His Son, & the Ass).

   
   (Image: Public Domain)

   That fable sort of illustrates the effect in the mind of each passerby the Miller encountered – that each traveler saw their belief as universal consensus for the situation. The Miller himself (whose belief is stated at the start of the fable) mistakenly assumed that each passerby’s individual opinion represented such a consensus – a voice with authority. So, the Miller’s behavior illustrates pluralistic ignorance, and the moral was: “If you try to please all, you please none.”

   
   (Image: Public Domain)