"Consider food advertising. Fast-food burgers in ads look thick, juicy, and perfectly assembled. In reality, they are flatter, soggier, and smaller. Ice cream in commercials is often mashed potatoes or lard. Shampoo ads rely on lighting, extensions, and CGI. Hotel brochures show empty beaches and oversized rooms. We know this. And yet, you see the ad, and you feel hungry. This isn't stupidity-it's cooperation."
"What's happening here is a form of willing suspension of disbelief. Much like watching a movie, we temporarily accept a distortion because it offers pleasure, comfort, or fantasy. The cost of challenging these lies is frustration and disappointment, and it often outweighs the benefit. So we cooperate. From a psychological standpoint, this reflects what Avery Weisman called the difference between reality testing and reality sense."
The internet preserves past falsehoods, yet people continue to consume misinformation from politicians, brands, and acquaintances. Social media and AI increase the volume of lies despite easier access to verification tools. Lying often functions as a psychological defense rather than a simple moral failing. People willingly suspend disbelief for pleasure, comfort, or fantasy, preferring cooperation over the frustration of confronting distortions. In some family systems, deceit becomes structural, and when knowledge clashes with behavior or group loyalty, perception of truth shifts to reduce discomfort.
Read at Psychology Today
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