Oh, no, I think they're terrified, but their "virtue" forces them to compromise the part of their brain that allows for critical thinking and extrapolation of data.

In other words, they've swallowed the lie "hook, line, and sinker." And, as a result, they are now forced to continue compromising themselves under some warped sense of "honor" or "duty" because most people have aversions to admitting when they're wrong, and even less people will actually admit they're wrong. It's all a weird, fascinating experience to watch.