Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

Extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds is a really long and hard-to-understand phrase that means people can sometimes believe strange things just because everyone else around them does too.

It's like when you're at a party and everyone is talking about a new trend or fad that you've never heard of before, and suddenly everyone starts doing it or buying it. You might start to wonder if you're missing out, and feel like you need to join in too even if you don't really understand it.

This can happen with big things too, like when people believe in conspiracy theories or false information that everyone is sharing on social media. Sometimes, people might even act on these beliefs in a crazy or dangerous way.

So, basically, extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds is just a way of describing how people can be influenced by what others are doing or saying, even if it doesn't make sense or seems really weird. It's important to always think for yourself and question things that don't seem right.