Humans speculate on the birth of the Solar System, all the while having no real sample of the core of the Earth or more than a sniff or two of components elsewhere. They are guessing. He assumes the Sun revolves around the Earth until forced to deal with facts telling him otherwise. He assumes that he as an intelligent creature stands alone as God's handiwork and balks at having to share the spotlight with other species from other worlds. He develops pet theories that place him in the center of the Universe, and is loath to let these theories go as he enjoys this concept.
Reality is resisted.
Distortions are perpetrated by humans who stand to gain. The religious elite resist a more realistic view of the Universe as this puts them out of a comfortable job. The establishment frequently resists truth as any change to the status quo is likely to change their status, where they are perched at the top. This human desire to keep others ignorant or confused is rampant, from the husband who keeps his housewife ignorant of the job opportunities that exist for women in the work force to the distributor who keeps a competitors product off the shelves through bribes. Truth must fight its way through the mud to emerge.