you bring up such an interesting topic b/c it's really hard to fathom either way.
as COC says, governing body members never have time to study or read the bible, so giving them a hustle mentality, like they try to give publishers, helps them not think on larger issues.
i believe there are some who know it's a crock, but it takes a perons of extremely decent character to admit they've been doing something wrong for 50+ years, not only as a leader, but even as a person.
an example of this is my whole family were union workers, manual laborerers, truck drivers, etc. i was a huge threat to them b/c i pursued my art and would just die if i didn't make it my career.
they were alcoholic know-it-alls, well my grandparents, and had running commentary on how i woudl never make it and needed to just get a full time mind numbing job, which i'd rather pursue my interests 14 hours a day out of a van than havea job w/ a secure apartment, cars, etc....even though i have those things now and can pay my own bills and wanted absolutely no money from them.
i believe they were just fearful that they had made the wrong choices in their lives...all they had to show for it was a watch for 40 years of service in the union or whatever....to look at me was making them look at themselves and it scared them too much to realize my happiness was more important to me than repeating their mistakes just so they could feel better about themselves.
i can't imagine being 25 years bought into a belief system, much less 40-50 years....the percentage rate even among non-jws has to be low.