When it comes to deception, everything is about story.
And the stories people cling hardest to are ones that aren't solely about information... they are about self-protection. They explain the world. They spark emotion. They reinforce identity.
And once we believe them, we don’t just share them…We defend them.
In this issue of Deceptive Minds, I explore why some narratives become immune to fact-checking, critique, or correction — and how we end up reinforcing falsehoods just by wanting them to be true.
🛡️ Why emotionally charged stories resist disproof
🧠 How narratives come preloaded with defenses (mockery, morality, tribalism)
📜 Real-world & historical examples of story-based immunity
🧩 And how to tell when you're dealing with a belief that's been bulletproofed
Because when deception takes the form of a story you want to believe… truth never even gets a chance.
Deceptive Minds: newsletter about how we are fooled, how we fool ourselves, and what we can do about it.
Check out the print newsletter on LinkedIn or on my website.
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