The belief that if there is a large and diverse class of something, then it is to be expected (and perhaps even tolerated) that some of them may have a selected (bad) property.
For example, the belief that if there are a few corrupt or racist individuals in a certain public organization, or a few greedy executives in the boardroom, or a few unprofessional individuals in a professional organization, or a few lazy and miserable employees, that doesn't imply that there is anything wrong with the organization or its culture.
This belief is justified by the slogan: There's always one Rotten Apple in every Barrel.
But this slogan is of course rubbish. One bad apple spoils the barrel. A corrupt or lazy individual (if unchecked) may infect his colleagues. Weak individuals are quickly corrupted, while some strong and morally upright ones may be forced out.
That isn't to say that corruption is immediate and universal, or that such organizations are necessarily beyond repair and redemption. But the presence (and survival) of even one single corrupt individual within an organization must raise some concerns about the organization which cannot and should not be superficially dismissed.
In a blame culture, the preferred solution is to discipline or expel a few individuals where the bad property is most evident, and to hope that the problem goes away. This only works on the assumption that those individuals who do not openly manifest the property do not currently have it, have not been infected by it, and will not develop it. It doesn't deal with the root cause.
See also
Catarina Fake, And the Bushel Goes Bad (Bizwerk, 25 July 2004)
Lori Howard, One Bad Apple (StickyMinds, 31 December 2003)
Originally published on my Fallacy page
http://veryard.com/demcha/fallacy.htm
Referenced in the following posts: Notes on Failure and Blame (July 2004), KITA and Voter Apathy (November 2004), This Is Not Who We Are (September 2021)
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