Why people fall for misinformation - Joseph Isaac

Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it.

All misconception is a distortion of the original, but the nature of that distortion can vary.

Some misconceptions contain disinformation - deliberate false information designed to mislead people. However, many misconceptions centre on misinformation - misleading information resulting from unintentional mistakes.

The reasons for unintentional mistakes can vary. For example:

• We reshape information every time it is shared with other parties, similar to a game of telephone.
• We try to simplify more complicated concepts in our desire for clear stories about the world around us. However, when we hear a good story, we find it difficult to change how we see that information, even if exposed to new evidence.