Eli5: Why is it easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled?

Question

Eli5: Why is it easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled?

In: 634

Answer 1

Short answer: Our brains are weird that way.

Long answer: Our brains have a network of internal processes designed to freeze out information. This can form cognitive bias responses that can actually lead people to disassociate facts from reality. This response is especially powerful when trying to change opinions, the brain can actually try to “protect” itself by believing something even stronger when presented with opposing evidence. This is why when a person is fooled and you try to convince them it can often have the opposite effect that you intended.

This can even lead down dangerous paths such as full on delusion and paranoia where people believe obviously false things. They believe that the world itself has bent around the false reality, but the brain itself is the culprit.

Answer 2

Short answer: Our brains are weird that way.

Long answer: Our brains have a network of internal processes designed to freeze out information. This can form cognitive bias responses that can actually lead people to disassociate facts from reality. This response is especially powerful when trying to change opinions, the brain can actually try to “protect” itself by believing something even stronger when presented with opposing evidence. This is why when a person is fooled and you try to convince them it can often have the opposite effect that you intended.

This can even lead down dangerous paths such as full on delusion and paranoia where people believe obviously false things. They believe that the world itself has bent around the false reality, but the brain itself is the culprit.