Familiarity Feels Like Truth

The more you hear a claim, the more true it feels — even if no one ever proved it. This is the illusory truth effect, and it's the engine behind propaganda, advertising slogans, and viral misinformation. Your brain uses fluency as a shortcut: if something is easy to process, it must be right. It's not. The next time a statement feels obviously true, ask yourself whether you actually verified it or just heard it enough times.