@DeanObeidallah it's not a function of intelligence, but rather that of maintaining a position within their social circle (though initially just online) and they would have to accept social banishment/social death if they acknowledge that they were lied to and hoodwinked. Most people would would give up their own lives than lose their social status. Charlie Veitch was a 9/11 truther and converted to acknowledge that it wasn't an inside job, now gets death threats.
https://guardianlv.com/2013/09/charlie-veitch-the-911-conspiracy-theorist-who-realized-he-was-duped/
Once one of Britain’s principal conspiracy theorists as well as friend to David Icke and Alex Jones, Charlie Veitch, was known as a 9/11 “truther.” As soon as he realized that he had been duped, he stopped. But that was when his problems really began. According to an interview Veitch gave to the Telegraph, Veitch, […]