Deception almost never announces itself, because it does not always arrive wearing falsehoods or obvious errors. Sometimes, it appears as certainty, and other times, as refusal. And Søren Kierkegaard captured this unsettling reality with clarity when he wrote:
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what is not true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.
Søren Kierkegaard
Most people are alert to the first danger. We warn one another about misinformation, about propaganda, and about lies. But the second danger is almost not obvious, and for that reason alone, even more destructive; it is not the acceptance of falsehood, but the rejection of truth that threatens our previous knowledge.
Believing What is Not True
The very very obvious part is that believing a lie usually begins with ignorance, then trust in the wrong source, or because of our ability to take the time to go and verify. Because it very very easy for us to accept what feels familiar, comforting, or aligns with our existing beliefs, which in itself is not always wrong, but we have to learn to test our beliefs, reasoning to see what is true. Because lies are attractive because they require less effort than the truth. The truth demands humility, correction, and sometimes change, but lies allow us to stay as we are.
But believing what is not true often collapses eventually, because, and always, reality has a way of exposing false foundations.
From the beginning of time everyone has always had an opinion about something or someone, and only a few pause to ask whether their opinions are reasonable. We have always lived in a time of emotion-driven conclusions and confirmation bias disguised as conviction, but if truth exists, and it does; then it must have rules. And those rules are found in the discipline of logic: The very structure of reason itself.
Before we can talk about truth, morality, or meaning, we must understand how we think and whether our thinking follows the laws that make truth even possible, because reason, like gravity, does NOT bend for opinion or belief.
Continue Reading: Truth Has Rules: The Basic Laws of Logic and Objective Thinking
Refusing to Believe What is True
Another dangerous form of deception is not being misled, but choosing not to see.
Refusing truth is often an emotional act rather than an intellectual one. Truth can threaten identity, comfort, pride, or long-held narratives, so instead of wrestling with it, we dismiss it.
And this kind of deception is harder to correct because it feels like strength; it sounds like conviction; it masquerades as discernment. But refusing truth closes the door to learning; when the mind decides in advance what it will not accept, growth becomes impossible.
People reject truth not because it is unclear, but because it is inconvenient. Truth may demand responsibility; it may expose patterns and the human nature, unless tamed, does not like to be confronted. It may require repentance, apology, or a change of direction, and so, denial becomes a defense mechanism.
The tragedy is that truth rejected does not disappear; it waits.
The Cost of Being Fooled
Both believing lies and rejecting truth lead to the same destination: Stagnation.
Believing lies leads to wrong actions, and rejecting truth prevents correction. And in both cases, progress stops, wisdom withers, and character hardens.
A person fooled once can recover, but a person who refuses truth repeatedly builds a prison around their own mind.
If you don’t know, know this today: Truth has always been expensive. It costs comfort, it costs popularity, and it almost always costs approval. Yet every generation produces those rare souls who are willing to pay the price, not because they seek conflict or applause, but because their conscience will NOT let them live any other way.
Marcus Aurelius, writing in his Meditations, reminds himself: “If it’s not right, don’t do it; if it’s not true, don’t say it.” Simple words! Hard practice! Because truth is not just about accuracy; it is also very very much about moral courage. And courage, when it is most needed, is most times rarely applauded.
Continue Reading: The Cost of Truth: Choosing Duty Over Approval
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Conclusion
Søren Kierkegaard’s insight reminds us that wisdom is not just about what we believe, but about what we are willing to examine.
Truth requires courage; it asks us to remain open, even when uncomfortable. The safeguard against deception is not intelligence alone, but humility, the willingness to say, “I may be wrong.”
The greatest freedom is not being right all the time, but being teachable.
