Brandolini's law - Wikipedia

2026-05-05 11:56 UTC

Brandolini’s law (or the bullshit asymmetry principle) is an Internet adage coined in 2013 by Italian programmer Alberto Brandolini. It compares the considerable effort of debunking misinformation to the relative ease of creating it in the first place. The adage states: The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it. The challenge of refuting bullshit does not come just from its time-consuming nature, but also from the challenge of defying and confronting one’s community.

Replies (5)

@sherlockhomelessok@lemmy.world 2026-05-06 22:02

That is a problem sadly also with the Internet. IRL where people can not change identity people develop raport but online this is not possible because a) the idiot just can create another account and b) the Internet is huge

Open ##2488165
@Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net 2026-05-05 13:56

This is only a thing because people forget or ignore the burden of Truth. If you go against the accepted idea the onus is on you to prove why it's true. Next time someone comes at you with a stupid opinion, do what we did decades ago, and laugh in their fucking face. Make morons afraid again

Open ##2488166
@HubertManne@piefed.social 2026-05-05 17:57

ugh. I used to have this discussion with my wife. She would always be showing me youtube stuff and Im like. Look here is a few logical things that make this kinda dodgy but it will take me a fair amount of time to find out why it is. Sometimes I would do it but I had to basically put my foot down that she needs to learn to research. actually ones with good sources and not more youtube videos. of course you also need to do an elementary logic class and maybe clues by sam and sudkoko or such regularly.

Open ##2488167
@areakode@riskeratspizza.com 2026-05-05 12:32

And red leaning relatives just keep repeating the bullshit...

Open ##2488168
@Tramort@programming.dev 2026-05-06 09:52

Isn't this just a repackaged mark twain quote?

Open ##2488176