Public opinion, though often formed upon a wrong basis, yet generally has a strong underlying sense of justice.

Crowds get the details wrong often enough that it is tempting to dismiss them entirely. Underneath the bad information there is usually a sound instinct about fairness, about who is being taken advantage of and who is getting away with something. The reasoning may be poor while the moral reading is broadly right. Worth separating the two rather than throwing out both.

When general feeling runs against something you are doing, resist the urge to correct the facts and stop there. Ask what unfairness people are sensing, and whether they are sensing something real.