text: do you find this to be true? i love this quote. i think it's why people will blindly follow one leader or one set of ideologies, despite overwhelming facts. here is the quote:  "what a man believes upon grossly insufficient evidence is an index into his desires -- desires of which he himself is often unconscious. if a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. if, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. the origin of myths is explained in this way."  bertrand russell yes, this has been puzzling me also. why did germany believe in hitler, russia in stalin and lenin, etc? why were they so dumb as to sheepishly follow these people and agree with them?  like pack animals?  is it perhaps a group instinct? i dunno.  all i know is that i refuse to do that and am not afraid to challenge what is given to me and to follow my heart.