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"If you tell a lie big enough and tell it frequently enough, people will eventually come to believe it". What is an example of this happening today? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 11 months ago by Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I would really rather that these were actual examples, and not conspiracy theories. We all have our own unsubstantiated ideas about what shadowy no-gooders are doing, but I'd rather hear about things that are actually happening.

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[–] RIP_Cheems@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago (2 children)

That coconuts falling on people's heads kills more people than shark attacks. It's was literally an experiment to see how far a lie could spread, and now it's used by many as an actual fact.

[–] Rediphile@lemmy.ca 21 points 11 months ago

Source?

From what I understand, it's unknown if coconuts kill more people per year than sharks as death by coconut are not well tracked. But the specific number quoted of 150 isn't legitimate. However, I can't find anything about it being related at all to an experiment to see how far a lie could go though. Did someone tell you this? Definitely a possibility of some irony here...

[–] LowtierComputer@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don't know if you're mixing up stats or I was told a falsehood, but I was told that the lie to see how far and fast they spread was about eating X spiders in your sleep throughout your life.

[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That was actually a result of a statistical blunder. The people who ran the study forgot to exclude Spider-Eating Greg as an outlier.

[–] alt_xa_23@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Wasn't it Spiders Georg?