Prevailing winds

Prevailing winds

It has been said that you should go with the flow.  Watch and see which way the wind is blowing then adjust your sails to follow. Why?  Why should you go with the flow or more accurately, agree with everybody else?  Why should I agree with the popular opinion?

If ten people believe that a song or a movie is good it is a reasonable idea to check it out, but their opinion should not dictate my opinion.  Now as we all know it will influence my opinion but why should it mandate that I agree?  And if I disagree with the general opinion does that make me base (wrong, unintelligent, or unsophisticated)?  If I agree with the prevailing winds does that automatically mean that I am worthy?

If this belief is true, then indeed staying with the flow is vital.  But what happens if the group is wrong?  Two plus two equals four unless it doesn’t.  The problem is that both can be proved correct or wrong.  How do we know who to believe, do we simply go where everybody else does? 

Holding to your own opinion has become very controversial of late.  I am curious as to the why behind that current trend.  Many cultures encouraged thought and to some degree experimentation.  Lately, that has begun a steep downward trend.  Now, to be honest, if we were to look back at some of the results of this encouragement, we could find some reasonable examples as to why some might curtail such a view.  But then again, no real advancements came from complacency. 

Is complacency the same as the status quo?  Is going with the flow the same as taking the easy way?  Do we have to buck the system at all times to be eager to improve? 

I don’t know, what does the majority think?

Blessings.