[YokoZar]

While amusing, the anecdote is off in a very important way: it is not a single person ordering dessert, but an entire party of people who represent different conflicting majorities. In such a real situation you can get whatever "absurd" result you want by just asking questions in the right order.

Ask your dinner party "Do we prefer Apple or Blueberry?", and a majority might reasonably answer Apple. Ask them "Blueberry or Cherry?", and a slightly different majority might reasonably answer Blueberry. Ask them "Cherry or Apple?" and a different majority would answer Cherry. You would get this situation, for instance, with the following voters: 2x A > B > C 2x B > C > A 1x C > A > B A beats B by 3:2, B beats C by 4:1, and C beats A by 3:2.

This is a rock paper scissors situation -- or a "condorcet cycle".

Now suppose instead of simple Sidney there were actually these 5 people ordering dessert. Is it really that unreasonable that the group as a whole might pick blueberry once cherry is on the table even though a majority prefers apple to blueberry?