[Catwoman]

I assumed the last statement to be correct. Does that make my logic blunt?

Look at the man wrongly accused of rape. That accusation - although he is later found innocent - will tarnish his reputation for life. People are wantonly gullible and then wildly suspicious of any contradiction. The Salem witch trials spring to mind. And this is particularly relevant to my industry: advertising. If you tell people a product is desirable, they will continue to believe it even after world-scale conflicts (Nestle, Nike), the threat of poor health (McDonalds, Coca Cola), even death (Marlboro - 1 in 2 smokers contract or die of lung cancer). One way to override 1st statement dominance is to gradually dissemble belief. For example:

An irresolvable argument:
Person A: Peas are blue. I am not lying.
Person B: Peas are green. Person A is lying.

A more effective argument:
Person A: Peas are blue. I am not lying.
Person B: Person A cheated on his wife last year. He was imprisoned for deception four years ago. He has just been released from a secure house treating him for clinical insanity. Peas contain chlorofil. A report shows peas to have the DNA coding responsible for green pigmentation. If you hold a pea up to an Oak leaf, it is the same colour. 5.9 billion people believe peas to be green. Peas are green.

But this doesn't always work. People will still hold onto the first statement, even as a glimmer of doubt in their memory. By far the best way to counteract the 1st statement rule is to emphasise it to the point of ridicule. For example, Bush/Blair's insistence that there were WMD right until the last minute made a parody of their argument. Things have a way of correcting themselves, and if you leave a liar to it, they will often end up despite all manner of tricks to be the one who reveals themselves.