Minority rule

Nassim Taleb popularized the idea of minority rule, where change is driven not by the majority but instead by a passionate minority. If something a minority insists on is fine with the majority, that generally becomes the norm.

For example, imagine you're a baker and want to sell buns. It doesn't make sense for you to make two sets of buns - one lactose-free and one "normal" - because everyone is fine eating lactose-free buns, but not everyone can eat your buns that include lactose. It's just easier to make everything lactose-free. So almost all pastries you find are lactose-free (at least in Finland).

It's key to notice the asymmetry at play: the majority must be quite indifferent to the change while the minority must be quite inflexible about it.

The idea of minority rule can be seen everywhere.

• Why we have pronouns next to people's names on social platforms and conference badges is not because the majority insisted on it, but because a very passionate minority did.
• Lunch in many cafés and restaurants is increasingly plant-based because vegetarians will take their money elsewhere otherwise, and non-vegetarians don't generally mind if their lunch has fewer meat options, or none at all on some days.
• In corporate life, you can usually change something if you're passionate enough about it. Most people don't really care that much, so if it's a deal-breaker for you, they'll let you change it (especially if they don't need to work on it).

• Minority rule as explained by Nassim Taleb