The loudest person in the room just has the most volume. That’s not the same as the most facts.

Volume is easy to produce and easy to mistake for authority. Rooms follow whoever sounds most certain, so the strongest claim often beats the best information, especially when nobody fancies the friction of checking. Certainty is a style, and style is not a credential.

Ask the plain question when it actually matters. How do you know that, where did the number come from, has anyone tried it. Ask calmly, with no challenge in your voice, and watch how often the volume in the room drops on its own.