[trophycase]

Post-truth is a result of the truth no longer really being knowable. You can't know if science was bought and paid for, you can't know whether Russia actually did this or that, you can't really know if X or Y is good for you, or you're just being sold something or someone is trying to control you, whether an image or video is a deep fake. That's the real post-truth. A reality where any one "fact" could be true depending on what you believe. In this reality, who you are does matter. If you're someone who actually believes in the virtues of truth and honesty then I'm more inclined to believe you, whether or not you're actually truthful. This is the real origin of post-truth. If one cannot really know the truth without experiencing it first hand, one must delegate their belief to someone who they feel has values aligned to their own.