Confession is effective because it instantly eradicates self-deception, halting the endless succession of consequences that would surely follow from it. It effectively makes a fresh start possible, free from the pernicious tendencies that, in order to manifest themselves again, would require a new decision. Verbalizing the fault solidifies the acknowledgment and the desire for amendment; the act of expressing it outwardly literally brings it out into the open and thus undeniably achieves its intended purpose. All of this is something the intellect can already perceive even before the experience.