Recent news items have reminded us that we are not always as vulnerable to external stimuli as we may think. The so-called ‘hypodermic needle model’ of opinion change suggests that we can be easily swayed by information, yet recent research indicates that this is not necessarily the case. A study published in Nature found that a few Russian tweets had no significant effect on American’s opinion of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, while a book on the myths of American history focuses on the effects rather than the causes of these misconceptions. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
