Black Knight Syndrome

Black Knight Syndrome (BKS) is the condition of being pathologically unable to acknowledge defeat. The syndrome takes its name from the Black Knight in Monty Python's 'Holy Grail'. In this motion picture the Black Knight loses an arm in a sword fight with King Arthur, and claims that "'Tis but a scratch". On losing his second arm the Black Knight says that it is "Just a flesh wound". After losing one of his legs the Knight exclaims "I'm invincible!", and when his second leg is cut from under him he says "All right; we'll call it a draw". BKS is commonly found in people afflicted with the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and it is typified by people who refuse to accept evidence that demonstrates beyond doubt that evolution is a fact, or that global warming is real, or that HIV causes AIDS. Indeed, such people have an irrational inability to accept the truth of any of a number of other scientific disciplines where the physical evidence trumps their conspiracy theories, vested interests, and/or ideologies. BKS is also frequently found in people otherwise prone to Denial Silence. The typical pattern of a conversation with a BKS afflictee involves the opposing, educated party presenting supportable fact after fact, carefully referenced and explained, whilst the ignorant BKS sufferer simply contradicts each devastating point with random, unevidenced counterclaims of his or her own. Due to this strategy, such exchanges rarely have a satisfactory conclusion.