r/pics • u/lnfinity • Aug 12 '21

The majority of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is discarded fishing gear.

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u/swinging_ship Aug 12 '21

46% of plastics in the pacific garbage patch are from fishing gear. That is the majority and that is a problem.

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u/_Apatosaurus_ Aug 12 '21 edited Aug 12 '21

46%

That is the majority

Please explain

Edit: Majority almost always refers to an absolute majority of >50%. If OP means a plurality or relative majority, they should specify that. Not doing so is intentionally misleading.

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u/I--Pathfinder--I Aug 12 '21

well 46% isn’t the majority but i think he could mean that of all groups of trash in the ocean it is the most.

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u/GodlessHippie Aug 12 '21

Plurality was the word they were looking for

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u/swinging_ship Aug 12 '21

Plurality and simple majority are the same thing. I never specified an absolute majority but a majority nonetheless.

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u/_Apatosaurus_ Aug 12 '21

We all know that majority almost always means absolute majority. If that's not what OP meant, they should specify that they meant relative majority or plurality. Or, they could have included a percentage.

It's possible to technically be correct but also be intentionally misleading.

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u/swinging_ship 28d ago

When does majority almost always mean absolute? We call pluralities in politics and racial percentages majorities all the time because nobody uses plurality.

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u/GodlessHippie Aug 12 '21

Fair enough! I always think of majority as 50+1% and plurality as the most out of all options but you’re right, simple majority is the same as plurality