Education and Social Desirability Bias are a perfect fit. “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day; teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime” sounds lovely. So does “In a modern society, every child needs the best possible education.” “Education is the most important investment we make in our children’s future” leaves a warm glow. “We have to ensure everyone who might benefit from college attends” is music to our ears. Such statements aren’t blatant falsehoods. But we’re inclined to hastily accept them regardless of their truth because they’re emotionally appealing. With intellectual
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