Musk pushes changes to Social Security

[Kid Berwyn]

2. The Big Lie

The "big lie" is a concept suggesting that a falsehood can gain acceptance if it is repeated frequently and is grand enough that individuals cannot fathom its untruth. This idea has historical roots, notably attributed to Adolf Hitler’s writings in his 1925 manifesto, *Mein Kampf*, where he argued that larger lies are more believable than smaller ones. The Nazis effectively utilized this concept to scapegoat the Jewish population, ultimately justifying horrific acts during the Holocaust. In contemporary contexts, the big lie continues to manifest in political discourse, with notable examples including former President Donald Trump’s claims about the 2020 election being "stolen" and Russian President Vladimir Putin's assertions regarding Western threats prior to the invasion of Ukraine. Psychologists explain the enduring appeal of the big lie by suggesting that the human mind often prefers comforting falsehoods over inconvenient truths, leading to the acceptance of repeated statements regardless of their factual basis. This phenomenon highlights the challenges in discerning truth in environments rife with misinformation.

Published in: 2022

Source: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/big-lie