People Only Believe What Flatters Them

I have observed that generally people only believe what flatters them either implicitly or explicitly. However if a proposition is too obviously sycophantic they will disbelieve it (even if it is true) as overly sycophantic suppositions are usually meant sarcastically, and as such the interpretting mind will want to disbelieve it for fear of being tricked or fooled (ie: their intellect insulted, the converse of flattered).

This seems to me to be because the human mind is a weak, insecure little thing that dislikes the truth of it's own nature, and is willing to believe just about any proposition that does not display that weakness. It seems to attempt to preserve its integrity - both the integrity of its belief as to its superiority or satisfactory nature, and to the truth of its own beliefs (as believing false beliefs shows one to be a fool, and this is not flattering). If they admit they are a fool they do so in a ruefull or sarcastic way - or in a way that they think flatters themself, like when Socrates says he knows nothing - he actually does not mean that and he does not mind saying it as he thinks it is a more honest and wise position to hold than thinking one does know something when they do not.

A much more honest intellectual position is to say "Some very few things I know, many things I am sure of, and many more things I know not." And a courageous position would be to tack on to that, "But I seek that which I do not know and attempt to root out the truth no matter what it means about me and no matter where I can find it."

Only a true philosopher can truly say this and honestly mean it. And that flatters them.