In economics there is a well-tested truth that arbitrage doesn’t work in the long run. Using such money-making machines destroys them after a while because of the market’s built-in information sharing. It seems that “lie generators” and the lies they produce can survive for a long time in society.
So why do lies emerge in such huge numbers and why do lies have such long half-lives? There are a multitude of reasons. In fact, there are so many reasons that it is surprising we haven’t drowned in lies already. We are only wading in them to our hips because lies cannot forever evade the ultimate arbiter of truth – reality.
Here’s a list – probably incomplete:
Verification takes time: Delayed feedback allows falsehoods to linger unchallenged.
Truth often reveals itself only after time has passed, and lies can fill that vacuum while we wait for evidence.
Slow change is hard to detect: Gradual trends evade detection, letting lies fester.
Humans are cognitively ill-equipped to perceive slow-moving threats, like climate change or creeping authoritarianism.
Simpler stories win: Lies are often easier to understand than complex truths.
People gravitate toward narratives that are cognitively easier to process—even if they’re wrong.
Truth is ambiguous: Complex realities leave room for plausible-sounding lies.
When facts are unclear or incomplete, lies that offer clarity or certainty gain traction.
Emotional appeal trumps logic: Fear, hope, and anger boost the memorability of lies.
Lies that tug at heartstrings are more likely to be believed and shared than sober truths.
Cognitive dissonance avoidance: Lies help protect people from uncomfortable truths.
Believing something false may be more psychologically comfortable than accepting a painful reality.
Identity-protective reasoning: Beliefs tied to group identity resist revision.
People defend lies when those lies are linked to their political, religious, or social identity.
Lack of critical thinking: Insufficient education leaves people vulnerable to deception.
Without the skills to evaluate claims, individuals are more likely to accept misinformation.
The illusion of understanding: Overconfidence in one’s knowledge (Dunning-Kruger effect) fuels false certainty.
People often believe they know more than they do, dismissing expert input in favor of their own flawed beliefs.
Echo chambers reinforce lies: Social media and ideology-based communities amplify falsehoods.
People tend to associate with like-minded others, creating feedback loops where lies go unchallenged.
Lies can serve social cohesion: Shared myths or narratives strengthen group identity.
Even false stories can act as “glue” in communities—especially religions, national myths, or conspiracies.
Power incentives: Lies are tools for control, especially in politics and authoritarian regimes.
Those in power often use lies to manipulate populations, suppress dissent, or justify policy.
No immediate consequences: Lies survive when they don’t immediately harm anyone.
If a lie doesn’t create an immediate crisis, it can spread undetected or be rationalized away.
Economic and political exploitation: Lies are leveraged for profit and power.
Actors deliberately spread disinformation to polarize, radicalize, or simply monetize attention.
Distrust in institutions: When truth-producing systems fail, lies rush in.
Failures and scandals in science, media, or government weaken public trust, creating fertile ground for falsehoods.
Institutional betrayal: Past misuse of truth by authorities undermines credibility today.
Scientific racism, politicized public health, and other abuses have left lasting scars that delegitimize even well-meaning truth-tellers.
Information overload: In a flood of data, sorting fact from fiction becomes harder.
Modern media environments overwhelm individuals, who then fall back on heuristics or social cues rather than critical analysis.
Post-truth culture: Democratic ideals misapplied to knowledge blur fact and opinion.
The confusion of “everyone has a right to an opinion” with “all opinions are equally valid” erodes epistemic standards.
Rise of alternative realities: Fragmented media enables competing “truths.”
Different communities can now live in completely separate narrative universes, each with its own set of “facts.”
Entropy favors lies: Falsehoods outnumber truths, and are easier to generate.
The number of wrong statements vastly exceeds the number of true ones—a kind of epistemic second law of thermodynamics.
Comfort in falsehoods: Lies are often reassuring; truths can be harsh.
We lie to ourselves about our health, our relationships, our futures—because the truth hurts.
Weaponized science skepticism: Misuse of scientific authority has backfired.
Science has been co-opted to justify oppression or flawed policy, creating deep cynicism about truth itself.
Algorithmic bias toward outrage: Digital platforms reward emotional, extreme content.
Lies that provoke anger or astonishment are more likely to be promoted than nuanced truths.
Decline of gatekeepers: Traditional filters for truth (editors, experts) have lost influence.
The democratization of information has benefits—but also allows lies to spread with unprecedented ease.
Any belief has a home online: The internet makes it easy to find confirmation for anything.
Whatever you want to believe, you can find someone online who agrees, no matter how absurd.
Summary
Lies thrive not because people are uniquely gullible, but because truth is often slow, complex, inconvenient, or poorly defended. Cognitive biases, emotional needs, social dynamics, failing institutions, and technological systems all conspire—often unintentionally—to make falsehoods more resilient than facts. And yet, reality remains undefeated in the long run. The challenge is closing the gap between short-term belief and long-term truth.