large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb_6
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_17_belloc_64kb
English
7264
But a man who has even once seen it stated that this politician was _exactly what he was_ will vividly remember that description (which at first hearing he probably thought false); physical experience has confirmed the true statement and made it live. BUT A MAN WHO HAS EVEN ONCE SEEN AND STATED THAT THIS POLITICIAN WAS EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS WILL VIVIDLY REMEMBER THAT DESCRIPTION WHICH AT FIRST HEARING HE PROBABLY THOUGHT FALSE PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE HAS CONFIRMED THE TRUE STATEMENT AND MADE IT LIVE
 remains the general impression with most of those 500,000 people. The simple and rather tawdry truth may be but doubtfully accepted by a few hundreds only. But sooner or later a certain small proportion of the 500,000 actually _hear_ the politician in question. They hear him speak. They receive a primary and true impression. If they had not read anything suggesting the truth, it is quite upon the cards that the false suggestion would still have weight with them, in spite of the evidence of their senses. Men are so built that uncontradicted falsehood sufficiently repeated does have that curious power of illusion. A man having heard the speech delivered by the old gentleman, if there were nothing but the Official Press to inform opinion, might go away saying to himself: "I was not very much impressed, but no doubt that was due to my own weariness. I cannot but believe that the general reputation he bears is well founded. He must be a great orator, for I have always heard him called one.  THE GENERAL IMPRESSION WITH MOST OF THOSE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE THE SIMPLE AND RATHER TAWDRY TRUTH MAY BE BUT DOUBTFULLY ACCEPTED BY A FEW HUNDREDS ONLY BUT SOONER OR LATER A CERTAIN SMALL PROPORTION OF THE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACTUALLY HEAR THE POLITICIAN IN QUESTION THEY HEAR HIM SPEAK THEY RECEIVE A PRIMARY AND TRUE IMPRESSION IF THEY HAD NOT READ ANYTHING SUGGESTING THE TRUTH IT IS QUITE UPON THE CARDS THAT THE FALSE SUGGESTION WOULD STILL HAVE WEIGHT WITH THEM IN SPITE OF THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR SENSES MEN ARE SO BUILT THAT UNCONTRADICTED FALSEHOOD SUFFICIENTLY REPEATED DOES HAVE THAT CURIOUS POWER OF ILLUSION A MAN HAVING HEARD THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE OLD GENTLEMAN IF THERE WERE NOTHING BUT THE OFFICIAL PRESS TO INFORM OPINION MIGHT GO AWAY SAYING TO HIMSELF I WAS NOT VERY MUCH IMPRESSED BUT NO DOUBT THAT WAS DUE TO MY OWN WEARINESS I CANNOT BUT BELIEVE THAT THE GENERAL REPUTATION HE BEARS IS WELL FOUNDED HE MUST BE A GREAT ORATOR FOR I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD HIM CALLED ONE
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