proverb · Words worth keeping
The mob has many heads, but no brains.
The mob has many heads, but no brains.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A crowd can be criticised for acting without shared deliberation. Many heads but no brains contrasts the number of people with the quality of their collective judgment.
What the words are saying
The saying uses an insulting exaggeration: many individuals are present, yet the group is pictured as lacking thought. It can describe a moment when excitement, imitation or confusion overwhelms careful discussion. Its point should be tied to that conduct rather than used as a verdict that collective action is inherently foolish. Groups can reason well, share expertise and correct mistakes. A careful application asks what prevented deliberation in the particular situation and how people could examine the decision more clearly.
Everyday example
Several people repeat an unverified claim in a busy discussion without stopping to inspect the evidence.
When to use it
Use it cautiously to criticise a particular failure of collective deliberation.
What it does not mean
A crowd’s size does not establish its intelligence or the legitimacy of its concerns.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1091 · Mob
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English