"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." Mark Twain

submitted by muellermeierschulz from (self.quotes)

all 8 comments
sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun

[–]magnora7 14 insightful - 3 fun14 insightful - 2 fun15 insightful - 3 fun -  (4 children)

And this is because of ego. People hate admitting they were wrong, especially if they'll be socially shamed for it.

If we didn't have an ego problem, we'd be so much more quick to update our understanding of the world when we're fooled and realize it

[–]Zapped 5 insightful - 3 fun5 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

Yes. I think the quote should be closer to it's easier to fool people that to get them to admit to being fooled.

[–]magnora7 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

"It's hard to get a man to realize the truth when his salary depends on him not realizing it." - Upton Sinclair

[–]Jesus 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Particularly when he was taught the very lies that he now teaches his pupils in ignorance.

[–]AirSeddit88 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Cognitive dissonance and cognitive bias are fundamental to psychology. We avoid paying attention to things that disagree with our model of reality and grab on to things that confirm our preconceptions. It is very expensive in time and attention to build a model of reality that doesn't conflict too much with personal experience, and we don't take kindly to things that wrinkle that tablecloth, as it were. It takes training to overcome this, and then only imperfectly.

That's part of what makes propaganda delivered by the MSM so effective. And it's what makes getting along with relatives over the holidays so crazymaking.

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

[deleted]

    [–]Klenvastergan 4 insightful - 4 fun4 insightful - 3 fun5 insightful - 4 fun -  (1 child)

    He got fooled.

    [–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    That would make for a great satirical video.

    After an introduction of context and Mark Twain images, a voice actor reads Twain's words in Twain's voice with an image and video presentation illustrating for truth and/or satire. (ie. "He has made a marvellous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it...")

    If well made it could be a hit. If poorly made it would seem like a hack hit job.

    [–]HugodeCrevellier 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    Fake-ish. Mark Twain never wrote that. The closest thing to it was:

    'How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again!'

    Autobiographical dictation, 2 December 1906. Published in Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 2 (University of California Press, 2013)