The mob has many heads, but no brains.
Meaning: Crowds act impulsively without rational deliberation, their collective energy amplifying emotion over wisdom.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Human Nature
- A fool demands much, but he's a greater that gives it. — Indulging someone's unreasonable requests reveals greater foolishness than making them.
- Muddles at home make husbands roam. — Domestic disorder and neglect push spouses toward seeking comfort and companionship elsew…
- Tis the nature of the beast. — Creatures act according to their inherent character; expecting otherwise ignores fundamen…
- Need makes the old wife trot. — Urgent necessity compels even the most sluggish or elderly to move quickly and act.
- Love thy neighbour, but pull not down thy hedge. — Affection for others needn't require sacrificing the boundaries that protect your own pro…
- It is the part of a wise man to take no notice of many things. — Selective attention to trivial matters preserves mental energy for what genuinely demands…
From our tongue twisters
- Şu çam sakızı çan sakızı olmuş, çan sakızı şan sakızı olmuş. — A 'ş/ç/şan/çan' duel — Turkish's two close sibilants at war with each other.
- Sex laxar i en laxask. — A short 'x/lax/ks' crunch — Swedish's 'x' sounds like 'ks', which doubles the trap.
- Sju sjösjuka sjömän skötte sjuttiosju sjösjuka sjölejon på skeppet Shanghai. — An unstoppable 'sj/sk/sh' onslaught — the Swedish sj-sound (a unique voiceless fricative)…