Availability Cascade

The availability cascade is a concept developed by Cass Sunstein and Timur Kuran.

It builds upon the availability heuristic.

It happens when a belief becomes popular not because it's true, but because it's talked about a lot.

Does this ring a lot of bells for you? It does for me.

As more people share a certain belief, it becomes more common in people's minds.

This, in turn, makes more people adopt the belief, creating a cycle.

To summarize. Availability cascades can spread false information as ideas become popular not because they're true but because they're talked about a lot.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

“Do you believe that because it's true? Or is it true for you because you believe it?”

( - don Miguel Ruiz and HeatherAsh Amara - The Seven Secrets to Healthy, Happy Relationships)