Conventional Wisdom Quotes
This was much more the case in 1840 when this quotation was written. Since then, a much higher proportion of American society has become educated, and the cultures that American immigrants have come from had multiplied. Publications abounded and after radio and television there were more attacks on American majority positions. The major change came with radio call in talk shows, similar TV shows and then the Internet provided a painless way to publicly go against majority opinion. By the first decade of the 21st century, movements of majority rejectionists such as the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement were thriving and “futile contests” received much public attention and showed that there were others with the non-majority views who made it socially acceptable to be outside the norms of the majority.
3rd Earl Russell of Kingston
1st Earl of Kingston
This appears to be the first time that this phrase has been used.
This quotation is important because it illustrates a problem in medical education and science in general that inhibits development and advancement in the field. The existing belief of most people in the field may not only be wrong, but as in this case, it had to be wrong as both of the statements could not be true at the same time as they contradicted each other. Most researchers were stuck with the “killed virus” development. Salk just assumed that what he was being taught was wrong, and proceeded with his research ignoring the best thinking on the subject and finally developing a “live virus” that worked when others claimed it was impossible and some refused to believe it even after it was demonstrated to be working well. Scientists, like everyone else, must be careful not to have their thinking limited by what the experts of the time think that they know.
