[Once they gain a certain level of acceptance, mass delusions can spread like wildfire.] They're contagious, as with clothes fashions, ... Lots of people quite like to be in the swim, running with the herd, as it were. There's something comforting about the idea that you're not alone, especially if people do feel atomised in some way. It is probably very reassuring to have that, even if it is often delusory.

Francis Wheen