Big Lie
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. Because ordinary people can only imagine small lies, it is hard for them to imagine that someone would dare to lie on such fundamental issues.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Beware the deceptiveness of grand narratives. The more grand and incredible the assertion (e.g., "We will terraform Mars"), the more easily it bypasses people's common-sense defense mechanisms. The more stunning the claim, the more "Jeffersonian vigilance" is needed.
Anchor fast decisions
The big lie refers to the repeated propagation of an extremely exaggerated lie, exploiting people's psychology that "something so outrageous cannot be false" to make it accepted, often used in propaganda. It reveals the power of repetition and scale in shaping belief.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lieverified
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