False hope is a cruelty disguised as kindness. These men saw nothing and claimed to see everything, and worst of all they taught others to expect their lies to come true. They manufactured hope in people who deserved the truth, and hope built on nothing eventually drops its believers into the pit they were promised they would avoid.
Be careful whose confidence you borrow. A comforting word from someone who has not earned the right to speak it will cost you more than a hard word from someone who has. The kind thing and the honest thing are not always the same, and only the honest thing can hold.