The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Was there ever a time when the majority was right?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote questions the validity of majority opinion and suggests that being in the majority does not equate to being correct.
Robert A. Heinlein's quote reflects skepticism towards the assumption that majority beliefs or opinions are inherently correct. It invites readers to critically evaluate societal norms and truths rather than simply accepting them based on popular consensus, suggesting that history is often filled with instances where the majority has been wrong.
Themes
MajorityTruthSkepticismOpinionSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate about social issues, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of questioning commonly held beliefs.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
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Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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