If you know that you're not, do you really believe it?

Can you choose what you believe?

At any single point in time, I don't think so. I think you can only believe what you percieve to be genuine, according to your own criteria of what you regard as true. In other words, what one considers to be real and convincing will determine what one believes in. In that sense its not really a matter of choice.

With the passage of time however, the criteria for what is real and believable can most certainly change. I think that a gradual but deliberate change of belief is possible. Reality is often self affirming.

 Do you actually think there's a causal link in the two statements he made?

not really, no, unless you're implying that the link is that he is successful in being delusional about it not being possible.

Except other people have been successful. So his view on the issue basically becomes anecdotal evidence. Also, I'm a logical guy, "hasn't been done" =/= "can't be done" and to assume such is to ignore logic.

 So you misrepresented what you initially denied. You did think that there was some causal link in his two statements.

You've never made clear what I supposedly denied. So I don't see how I can misrepresent my view on it when my view was "unlikely =/= impossible" and also asking you to clarify what the hell you were talking about.