Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
We’ve all heard that Napoleon was exceptionally short—he even has a "complex" named after him. But where did this story come from, and why do we still believe it 200 years later?
Blame 19th-century "fake news." During the Napoleonic Wars, British caricaturist James Gillray flooded the public with cartoons depicting Napoleon as a tiny, child-like tyrant. The secret to making any lie stick is repetition. This triggers the illusory truth effect (aka the reiteration effect), a cognitive bias where our brains mistake familiarity for accuracy. If we hear a claim often enough, we stop questioning it.
While Napoleon’s height might not matter much today, the lesson does: repetition can hack your brain.
Appreciate TIP’s content? Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/ThinkingIsPower
#ThinkingIsPower #FakeNews #Psychology #Education #FunFact #Short #Shorts
We’ve all heard that Napoleon was exceptionally short—he even has a "complex" named after him. But where did this story come from, and why do we still believe it 200 years later?
Blame 19th-century "fake news." During the Napoleonic Wars, British caricaturist James Gillray flooded the public with cartoons depicting Napoleon as a tiny, child-like tyrant. The secret to making any lie stick is repetition. This triggers the illusory truth effect (aka the reiteration effect), a cognitive bias where our brains mistake familiarity for accuracy. If we hear a claim often enough, we stop questioning it.
While Napoleon’s height might not matter much today, the lesson does: repetition can hack your brain.
Appreciate TIP’s content? Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/ThinkingIsPower
#ThinkingIsPower #FakeNews #Psychology #Education #FunFact #Short #Shorts
