I have a pet theory that's based on no proof and no research, only personal observation. I believe that we in the US are so overexposed to lies that we've stopped seeing lying and liars as bad. The US President lies daily. Your Congressperson and Senator probably do too. Sadly, many consider the response of the sophisticated person should be, "It's just politics."

Not "Don't do that." Not "I won't vote for a liar." Just "Oh, well."

That's not my theory, by the way. My theory is that our society is unique in history because we're conditioned to accept lies from a very young age. Daily, we experience a barrage of researched, tested, revamped, and fine-tuned advertising. Though it's always been around, the difference between now and past generations is the vastness of the messaging. We're bombarded with ads all day, every day. We know they lie, but again we say, "Oh, well. It's just the way things are."

Many things factor into believing a lie, but here are a few of the big ones. 

1) We want to believe the lie.

Present something in the right way, and people will respond positively. We'd like to believe that the only thing holding us back from being popular, getting that dream job, or feeling good about ourselves is easily eliminated, like bad breath, dandruff, or BO. A great example is the spate of "all over" body deodorants now flooding the market. If my "down there"  smells like flowers, I'll be a much happier person, right?

I know a registered nurse in her fifties who bought a "special" cream that claimed it would keep her breasts from sagging. Another friend in the health care field told me enthusiastically that she'd ordered some pills that were going to do away with her belly fat. I fell for the bar shampoo thing that came and went a few years ago. I don't even remember why now; I just know there's a bar of the stuff somewhere in my bathroom closet, used once, maybe twice. 

2) The lie is repeated and repeated.

 We see an ad that's cute. We chuckle the first time, smile the second, but it just keeps showing up. It might seem counter-productive to repeat something until the listeners are sick of hearing it, but researchers know that the more often consumers hear/see something, the more likely they are to believe it. “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth” is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels. Among psychologists, this is known as the "illusion of truth" effect. We're more likely to accept something that's familiar. Hence, the whole "brand-name" mind-set.

3) We're told that others already believe it.

One of the hardest things to resist is peer pressure, and liars know it. Skewed statistics, images of happy consumers enjoying a product, catch-phrases like, "Don't be the last person in your group to get the new..." all indicate that you're somehow inferior if you haven't bought this product or seen that concert. One of my recent favorites is a closet organizer that claims you can have a closet that "makes all your friends jealous." How many of your friends have even seen your closets? Would you conduct grand tours of your home after purchase in order to show them off? 

These techniques work, even when they're based on lies, and they are everywhere. Websites present ads before you can see the content. TV shows are riddled with ads. Highways are choked with billboards. We're so used to being lied to that we often stop analyzing what's said. If we pay attention, fact-check, and apply logic, we won't fall for false claims, whether it's toothpaste or political leadership. Stop and think. Learn to see the lies.