Believing Their Own Lies: Difference between revisions

** Also from [[David Weber]] are the "Archangels" of the ''[[Safehold]]'' series, especially Langhorne and Bedard. They set up a [[Path of Inspiration]] specifically to keep humanity from developing technology again, in violation of the original plans for their mission, in part to satisfy their own megalomania. Pei Kau-Yung grew concerned that they had actually come to believe they were angels.

** And also from ''Safehold'', this is, and is lampshaded as, the single creepiest attribute of church leader [[Complete Monster|Zhaspahr Clyntahn]]--no matter what he does, he can come up with a justification for why it's the best course of action for everyone (and not just for him personally), often one that requires blatant disregard of facts he knows and doesn't know everyone else knows, and he seems to have compartmentalized his mind to such a degree that he can think himself innocent even as he knows he's guilty. {{spoiler|There's a scene in the third book where he and his fellows debate the proper course of action in response to a murder apparently committed by an enemy of the church. The others realize one by one that ''he'' paid the assassins, just so the enemy of the church would be blamed, but at any intimation the others make of this he's as indignant as if his conscience was spotless.}}

* [[Doublethink]] from ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'', without which the entire system would collapse: The ability to consciously lie and tell propaganda, yet at the same time believe every word of it.

* ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'': Gollum really believes that the ring was supposed to be his birthday gift.