People can be made to believe any lie because they want to believe it is true, or because they are afraid that it is true.

-- Zedd in Wizards First Rule by Terry Goodkind

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Conversely:

"...die beste und sicherste Tarnung ist immer noch die blanke und nackte Wahrheit. Komischerweise. Die glaubt niemand."

-- ?? in Biedermann und die Brandstifter by Max Frisch

(In translation, "The best and most effective lie [camouflage] is still the plain, naked truth. Strangely enough. No-one believes '''that'''." I think this is stated in another page as well.)
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Can this be related to the ''First rule of magic''? - '''Never use a spell when a bat will work'''

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See http://www.btinternet.com/~parallel.universes/goodkind/wizrules.html