Should you buy an ingredient that almost everyone loves?
Popularity is evidence, not proof.
Popularity is a useful signal, but not a guarantee. An ingredient loved by many people may still not match your tastes or needs.
People naturally trust crowds.
The hidden mechanism is social proof. Popular products feel safer because many others have already accepted the risk of trying them.
Imagine choosing between an unfamiliar ingredient and one loved across many cultures.
A second-order effect develops because popularity becomes self-reinforcing. The more people buy something, the more visible and trusted it becomes.
People often think popular things are universally good. They are usually just things that solved enough problems for enough people.
