Haven't you ever had a clever friend who could talk him or herself into anything? Could push right past normal doubts and hesitations with a big verbal flourish? Who could rationalize anything, retcon a backstory for it, and never even feel like he or she was lying, because it all checked out according to the big brainiac outline on the whiteboard of the mind?
That is exactly the kind of person- aside from just plain coomers- most likely to fall prey to trooning out. There are two sets of brakes that can be put on a person like this. One is hopefully developed by most over time- maturity and humility, recognizing the "big brain" explanation isn't as good as the simple, sensible truth. And the other is checks and balances in our systems and institutions.
Well we know the latter is gone, and the former is dispensed with by catching these smart idiots when they are still in school or very early adulthood.
