Repeat a lie often enough and people will begin to believe it.
The moon is made of cheese
The moon is made of cheese. I mean, how many times would I have to repeat that before people began to believe it? And if I were king or prime minister or president with all the channels for disseminating information at my disposal and I said it, how long would it take before people began to believe it?
Come on, think about it. The sentence ‘Repeat a lie often enough and people will begin to believe it.’ is an example of a sentence said often enough. But is it true? Will people begin to believe a lie said often enough?
‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire’, is the other side of the coin. Accuse a man of something and unless he is proven beyond all doubt to be innocent, then some people will continue to believe there is some truth in the accusation.
That is as much a criticism of the dark, suspicious part of people’s minds as it is a saying that there is always something behind every suspicion.
And perhaps the lie perpetuated as truth appeals to the same part of people’s minds.