"I tell you, lad, that men will believe if one says, 'The Gods say…' They will believe if one says, 'I had a vision…' They will believe if one says, 'It was told me on a tablet of hidden gold…' But if one says, 'History teaches,' then they will not believe."
"The True Game: King's Blood Four", Sheri S. Tepper
And men do not believe what their historical heroes say if it does not fit their own notions. The Revolutionary General, George Washington, warned of "overbearing military" but men want the biggest military in the world. Adam Smith wrote of the importance of labor but men want to only believe about his "invisible hand". Abraham Lincoln spoke of "government of the people, by the people, for the people" but men only want to believe in "government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations".
