A system can demonstrate competence in appointing good people by the results they get. When someone buys into a belief system, religious or secular, and put their trust in an institution like a church or mutual aid society, they take into account the lives of those who have done the same. We want to join the group that’s doing well and the longer the track record the better. That’s why we need a diverse set of voluntary communities, so we can let the natural experiment play out and see social evolution do it’s thing. The vast majority will always be followers and not free thinkers because that it how humans evolved to be. The key is to allow good institutions to exist so they can be followed safely.