Very worthwhile discussion of the Italian concept of "furbo":
It's Interesting That He [Ron Paul] Cites the Italians for Their Perspicacity… because that lets me talk about my favorite Italian word, furbo, meaning full of cunning and slyness.
"Furbo" is very important in Italian culture. Even more than in our own.
Let's say, for example, I say I believe George Bush that Al Qaeda perpetrated 9/11.
The fact that I'm saying I believe him exposes me to several risks. What if he's lying? If he's lying to me, he's played me for a fool. I would have shown that my furbo is rather weak.
But what if I instantly claim he's lying, instead? Well, then I can never be accused of having had the wool pulled over my eyes by him. My furbo would be strong.
Now, most cultures, of course, respect skeptics and treat the guileless as amiable fools.
But in many cultures, you can only show so much furbo before you begin looking like a fool from the other direction. Not a fool because of what you believe; but a fool because of the incredibly long list of things you don't.
Italy, however, prizes furbo to the extent that it's pretty hard to be considered a fool based on your conspiracy-theorizing. Italy overvalues furbo, and undervalues skepticism about skepticism itself…