A GLITCH IN THE TRUTH BIAS

Sociologists agree that humans tend to have a "truth bias" - a strong, inherent willingness to believe that others are telling us the truth. We are easily duped. 

Now I don't have any empirical data to back this up, but it seems to me that there is one occasion where we definitely tend towards an "untruth bias": Denials. 

For some reason, we seem inclined to treat most denials as lies. 

For a good recent example, recall the moment a few months ago when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle made international news by telling Oprah Winfrey that the Royal Family was racist. 

Do you recall your own reaction when you heard Prince William a few days later tell the British press that the royals are "very much not a racist family"? The public seemed to collectively roll their eyes and mutter, "Sure you aren't." 

Somehow, when William said "We are very much not a racist family", in our minds the "not" got dropped. 

Maybe the issue is in fact a confirmation of the truth bias in a way: we hear Meghan Markle say that the royals have been racist towards her and we think, "Why would she lie about something like that? She has lived among the family for several years now, so wouldn't she be the one to know?"

In other words, we are inclined to believe her and then any denial following the allegation amounts to "She is lying" and we just aren't likely to believe someone lied to us. So instead we disbelieve the denial. (I know it doesn't sound entirely logical, but then humans are not logical, are we?)

For the record, I have no idea if the royal family is racist or not. (And neither do you.)

All I am saying is that, in general, we tend to believe an allegation as true and lean toward viewing a denial of that allegation as untrue. Have you ever noticed this?

This is a quite dangerous way to process allegations and denials but it is human nature and there is no remedy I suppose. 

If you ever find yourself in the position of having to deny an allegation made against you, you will instinctively know in your gut that whatever you say, no matter how you say it, will be more naturally questioned and doubted than the allegation itself. 

I speak from experience. It's a terrible glitch in the truth bias.