Humans
aren't properly wired to deal with lies.
From an evolutionary standpoint it wasn't necessary. Truth was based on our own experiences and
actions. We knew what we heard, saw and
did, because we experienced it ourselves.
But
now that our experiences have become mostly virtual we are reliant on what
others tell us about events. And that's a problem because our brains mistake
familiarity for truth. The more often we
hear something the more likely we are to believe it's true.
Research
shows that after the third time we hear a lie we believe it's true, even if it
contradicts a previously held belief. And
even if it is labeled as false. (Fazio, Brashier, Payne & Marsh, 2015)
It's
no wonder then that once the polls showed Trump losing he doubled down on his
criticism of mail-in voting despite the fact that he himself votes by mail. And, as his numbers have continued to sink he
has upped the ante to claim that if he doesn't win the election it will be
because of fraud.
You
can expect him to keep repeating that lie over and over again until November
3rd. Because he knows that if he does, some
people will be fooled.
Will
you be one of them?
Fazio,
L., Brashier, N., Payne, B. & Marsh, E.
(2015, August 24) Knowledge Does
Not Protect Against Illusory Truth. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Retrieved August 26, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/xge-0000098.pdf
