Forks, umbrellas and shopping carts used to be controversial
Forks weren't used by "proper" Europeans until around the 16th Century when an Italian cookbook included them.
Umbrellas were seen as impractical and effeminate in England until Jonas Hanway began confidently using one in the 18th Century.
In the early 20th Century, Sylvan Goldman's shopping cart invention didn't catch on until people were hired to use them in his store to influence others to use them.
14 years ago the iPad was a joke until kids started using tablets to play games and watch videos. Now, roughly 4 out of 5 households with children own tablets.
None of these innovations took off immediately because change can be unsettling. Or maybe the new thing is risky, plus what will the neighbors think of me using this? Mass perception shifts when others confidently demonstrate a new product's benefits without caring what the neighbors think.
This reminds me of a video of someone dancing on their own at a music festival. Then another person joins him, then a crowd of people join.
Or when that guy sang Bon Jovi in a park. He starts, then a few join, then everyone sings along.
Most people are resistant to being first to do something because you risk looking foolish. When someone else does it, and especially after another person also does it, we believe in the benefit.
Innovative designs have been held back by arbitrary beliefs that the new thing is too strange to try since before quills touched parchment.
Looking strange frequently plays a role with innovations, even when something is clearly beneficial. At the very least, trying something new means learning something new. Why should you care what the neighbors think, anyway?
