A Perplexity conversation about self-deceit, conspiracy, Arendt and AIDS
Discuss the confusion between the appearance of conspiracy and self-deceit, and how self-deceit in government leaders creates the appearance of conspiracy. Self-deceit in government leaders can powerfully create the appearance of conspiracy, even when there is no coordinated secret plot. When leaders convince themselves of the righteousness or effectiveness of their own policies, they may unconsciously deny evidence of harm, ignore ethical contradictions, or adopt comforting narratives rather than confront uncomfortable truths. Other observers, detecting this disconnect between official statements and lived reality, may then perceive hidden motives, deliberate cover-ups, or coordinated deception—classic ingredients of conspiracy suspicions—even if the real dynamic is psychological denial and bureaucratic inertia. This confusion arises because self-deceit can mimic true conspiracy: it generates secrecy, ritualized language, and the concealment of damaging realities, not by inten...