Using the Truth to Lie

In this spotlight I wish to remind you about the prevalence of the various methods in use today to win your heart and mind, or in plain language, to manipulate your thinking and beliefs. Hector Macdonald in his book, Truth, informs us of the many ways that “truth” can be used to lie. I found his Colgate story most informative. Colgate sent questionnaires to dentists asking them to identify the toothpastes they recommended. When the questionnaires were returned, Colgate announced that 80% of dentists recommended Colgate. This in turn persuaded other dentists to begin to recommend Colgate as well. Why? ...