A case study published in the journal Nature in 1907 goes as follows: At a farmer’s festival in Plymouth, England, a contest is organized. The participants are asked to estimate how many kilograms of meat can be obtained from a bull that has been slaughtered in front of 787 farmers and its skin removed. The farmers write down their estimates on a piece of paper. Those who provide the closest guesses will be rewarded. The papers are collected, and the average of the estimates is calculated. Interestingly, it turns out that the average is closest to the true value.[1] Similar results showing the importance of collective intelligence are evident in other studies as well.
In today’s world, it’s observed that collective efforts and projects are more efficient when individuals with different characters, experiences, and knowledge come together to support a discussed topic. Acting with a shared vision is superior to individual initiatives and is more sustainable in the long run.
When people work together, their voices become louder and synchronized. This idea is also proven in an experiment called the “Kuramoto model.”[2] According to this model, which has a mathematical formula, objects moving side by side gradually synchronize to create a significant force over time. Each system tends to minimize the phase difference by influencing those nearby. For example, during applause in concert halls, synchronized sounds gradually emerge. Rhythmic applause is achieved by reducing each person’s clapping frequency by nearly half, thus decreasing the width of the frequency distribution. Although rhythm might occasionally be lost, it is regained over time.[3]
On June 10, 2000, passage on the Millennium Bridge built over the River Thames in London was restricted. This was because having a certain number of people walk on the bridge simultaneously caused excessive swaying.[4]
Bediüzzaman Said Nursi also draws attention to this matter, saying, “If three 1’s do not unite or come together, they will have only the value of 3. But if they unite or come together, they will gain the value of 111. Four separate 4’s make 16. But if they come together in true brotherhood, along the same line for the fulfillment of the same duty, they will have the value of the power of 4444. History records numerous events which bear witness to the fact that 16 self-sacrificing people in true brotherhood have obtained the moral strength of more than 4000 people. This is because each individual in a true, sincere union can also see with the eyes of the other brothers and sisters, and hear with their ears. It is as if each of the ten persons in true solidarity and unity has the value and power of seeing with twenty eyes, thinking with ten intellects, hearing with twenty ears, and working with twenty hands.”[5]
The blessed Hadiths of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, emphasize the virtues of performing acts of worship collectively. For instance, “The prayer performed in congregation is twenty-seven times more superior in reward than a prayer performed individually.”[6]
In conclusion, both social realities and religious sources indicate that working together with collective intelligence is more beneficial. Making decisions through consultation and deliberation with competent and experienced individuals will reduce the likelihood of making mistakes.
[1] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321202
[2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuramoto_model
[3] www.researchgate.net/publication/1821065_Physics_of_the_rhythmic_applause
[4] www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27568-y
[5] Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Gleams, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2013, p. 227–228.
[6] Sahih al-Bukhari, Adhan, 30; Sahih Muslim, Masajid, 249.
