Bleeding dead men

It strains credulity, doesn't it? But it is demonstrably true. Human beings will believe absolutely ANYTHING! And they will believe anything without the slightest bit of evidence besides the fact that someone, anyone, says it's true. And they will believe anything, based on the claims of anyone, in spite of mountains of evidence to the contrary.

I'm reminded of a story.

Seems there was a delusional fellow who was convinced that he was dead. No one in his circle of friends or family could convince him otherwise. It was time for a professional to try. So, they hired a psychiatrist with a huge reputation for using logical arguments successfully to persuade delusional people to change their minds and abandon their delusions.

The psychiatrist wasted no time using his most powerful argument, one that had worked beautifully in prior cases. "Are you alive?" said the psychiatrist.

"Certainly not! I have been dead for many years now," said the patient.

"Another question: Do dead men bleed?"

"No, I happen to know that once the heart stops beating, there is no longer enough pressure to force blood out. So dead men do not bleed," said the patient.

"Very well, then." And suddenly the doctor snatched up a scalpel, grabbed hold of the man's hand and sliced the patient along the base of his thumb. Blood poured out of the wound until the doctor applied a large napkin to the spot. "So, what do you say to that?"

Ashen faced now, the patient seemed on the verge of an epiphany. The doctor waited for the magic words...

"Well I'll be damned. Dead men do bleed!"

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