Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Black Swan (№ 342036)

Alas, recognizing their own ability to make mistakes, to not know the authority will not acquire. People need to be blinded by knowledge - we're supposed to follow leaders who can gather us together, because together is much safer than alone. Always been more profitable to walk with the crowd, albeit in the wrong direction than the right, but alone. And genes we got from those who followed the arrogant fools, not wavering sages. There is a social pathology: psychopaths easily recruit adherents.