The relentless math of bandwagoning

Seth Godin · 23 Oct 2026

Seth Godin did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Most people feel safer, and find it easier to fit in and avoid error, when they act within expected social norms.

Their wordsMost people feel safe when they're engaging within the expected social norms. It's easier to fit in and to avoid an error.
Our reading
Bandwagoning is always overrepresented in any sampling of the media.

Their wordsThe nature of bandwagoning means that it will always be overrepresented in any sampling of the media.

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