“An illusion shared by everyone becomes a reality”
— Erich Fromm
Simplified Meaning:
When a lot of people start believing in something, even if it's not real, it can start to feel and act like it is real. Imagine in a small town everyone starts talking about a hidden treasure. No one has seen it, but because everyone believes in it, they start digging and searching. Shops start selling maps and tools for treasure hunting. The belief in the treasure changes how people behave and what they do every day. Even without real evidence, their actions make the treasure hunt a big part of life in the town. In our everyday lives, this can happen too. If everyone in a group believes that a new idea or trend is the truth, they will accept it as part of their reality and live according to it, even if there's no solid proof. This shows the power of collective belief and how it can shape what we experience as real.