The famous adages, ‘There’s none so blind as they that won’t see,’ (Jonathan Swift) and ‘What people believe prevails over what is the truth’ (Sophocles) encapsulate how people accept information aligning with preconceived notions or desires. As Anaïs Nin stated, ‘We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are.’ Nietzsche believed that people need illusions, even if living a lie. Alienated parents experience traumatic grief as they witness their children falling for false narratives, coercive control, and psychological abuse. We see it in the world at large too. Some people struggle to believe their government would feed them lies and poisonous mistruths/deeds. Adolf Hitler wrote about ‘the big lie’ in ‘Mein Kampf,’ describing a lie so enormous that nobody would question it because no one would believe someone ‘could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.’ He believed this technique was being used against Germany. Dr. Joseph Goebbels elaborated, saying: ‘If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.’ Carl Sagan, an American astronomer, astrophysicist, was known for his advocacy of scientific skepticism and critical thinking. In his book ‘The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark,’ he wrote: ‘Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.’ He urged people to critically evaluate information rather than accepting it blindly. I also love this quote from him: ‘One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.’
Rick Hanson’s book ‘Buddha’s Brain’ suggests that even what we believe we see with our own eyes could be made up from memories, as our beliefs are created in our brains. Lies can become comfortable beliefs for those who perpetuate them. Confirmation bias leads people to accept lies that align with preconceived beliefs. Emotional appeal, along with repetition, can make lies more convincing, playing on a person’s fears or wishes and increasing its perceived truthfulness. ‘Herd mentality’ and influence from perceived authorities contribute to lies being accepted as truth.
The truth often comes with nuances, requiring a more profound understanding, while lies, especially simplistic ones, offer straightforward answers. Addressing this dynamic involves promoting critical thinking skills, and an openness to diverse or new perspectives. Fostering a culture of questioning, fact-checking, and understanding cognitive biases would contribute to a discerning society that values the pursuit of truth over the allure of convenient falsehoods.
I will give Sophocles the last word (which I like to believe is true!): A lie never lives to be old.
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