>[!abstract] >Assuming not everybody is capable or willing to think for themselves, some people will (perhaps subconsciously) reach a [[make or buy]] decision and outsource their thinking. Traditionally, that outsourcing was done to church leaders, political figures, and public intellectuals. The popularization of social media in the 2000s led to some people outsourcing their thinking to other social media users with effective marketing techniques and large follower counts (influencers). >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): — >- **West** (similar): — >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): —