@chevalier26 maybe it's that people transmit information in various modes: on one channel the actual content of their words, and then also the nonverbal communication channel. sometimes it's the nonverbal mode that's supposed to do the persuading, by communicating a sense of authority, trustworthiness, or charm. but if you generally don't pick up that communication channel, and mainly pick up the words themselves, you can see through the persuasion layer to the literal content (which in this sort of situation is rather unconvincing).