The Illusion Of Truth: Believing Something To Be True When It Isn’t
The illusion of truth is a mechanism that makes us believe that something is true when it is not. In fact, we don’t just believe it, we defend it. It doesn’t even occur to us that it might not be true.
The illusion of truth, also the illusory truth effect ( the illusory truth effect ) called, occurs because there is an error in the processing of reality. As humans, we tend to say that the things we know are true.
An investigation was conducted in 1977. A group of volunteers was given 60 statements to read. Researchers asked them to indicate whether these were true or false. The same exercise was repeated every fifteen days. The researchers noted that these people considered the statements they had previously read to be true, whether the information provided was reasonable or not.
The illusion of truth and implicit memory
It seems that this mechanism functions because of the ‘implicit memory.’ In the previous experiment, participants considered statements they had previously seen to be true—despite being clearly told they were false. Simply put, if the statements seemed “familiar,” they seemed true.
The illusionary truth effect occurs without involving explicit and conscious memory. It is a direct result of implicit memory, a type of memory that uses previous experience to perform tasks. This is a strategy the mind uses to conserve energy.
The implicit memory is present when you tie your shoelaces, for example. In the beginning you learn how to do it. Later, you will perform this task automatically. If you need to tie something other than your shoelaces, you’re probably using the same technique, even if it’s not the best way for the job. In other words, you tend to create models and then apply them to different situations.
This mental strategy is also applied to more abstract realities, such as ideas. This leads to the illusionary truth effect. It means that you are more likely to believe an idea or way of thinking if it seems familiar and coincides with previous experiences. Here we run the risk of making unwise decisions.
The illusion of truth and manipulation
The illusion of truth has many problematic effects. As the old Nazi saying goes, “Tell a lie often enough, loud enough, and long enough, and the people will believe you.” A statement that is repeated, even if it is false, is usually considered true. After all, most people don’t feel like or have the means to check whether something is true or not.
Actually, the illusionary truth effect is a shorter route the mind takes to avoid having to put in more effort than it needs to. If we subjected everything we thought and did to analysis, we wouldn’t last an hour.
Why is it better to be awake during the day than at night? Should we have breakfast at the start of the day or should we eat nothing? Is what we eat for breakfast good or do we just eat it out of habit?
It is impossible to evaluate everything in our search for the truth. That’s why your brain helps you and simply organizes information based on what you’ve learned. It is a strategy to give you a helping hand in life.
The illusion of truth does not destroy logic
An important aspect of the illusionary truth effect is that no matter how strong it is, it does not destroy logical reasoning. This means that you can always carry out mental processes that allow you to understand what is true or false.
It also means that the power of manipulation over the mind is limited. It only keeps you trapped in the illusion when you decide not to apply your reasoning ability. If you do apply it, the effect will be diluted.
As you can see, it might be quite interesting to question the most important aspects of reality. You should be wondering why you believe the things you believe. Do you think something is true simply because you’ve heard it many times? Or is it true because you have enough evidence to believe this?
