Lies We Live By

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." —Marcus Aurelius

In George Orwell's brilliant novel 1984, events unfold in a way that mirrors what we experience today. Winston, the main character, works at the Ministry of Truth, an institution that always changed historical records to favor the ruling party. In a particularly absurd scenario, the government reduces food rations (weekly chocolate) and presents this as an act of generosity. Citizens not only accept the change without question but celebrate the regime's "efficiency." This manipulation of truth appears to be an inherent feature of societies, both in fiction and reality.

Why do people prefer to believe lies, even when the facts are clear? It seems the answer to this question has much to do with human nature and how our brains process information.

The Emotional vs. Rational Brain

In his book Everything Is F*cked, Mark Manson uses a helpful analogy to understand how we make decisions. Manson suggests that our consciousness is like a moving car with two occupants: the driver, representing the rational part of the brain, and the co-pilot, representing emotions. While we like to see ourselves as rational beings, the reality is that many of our decisions are influenced by the emotional co-pilot, who often takes control.

According to Yuval Noah Harari in Sapiens, humans are extraordinarily good at inventing and believing stories, which has been crucial for our survival. This is because our cognitive abilities do not always align with rationality. Harari explains that our brain has different specialized zones that activate depending on the type of thinking. In some situations, like with political followers, the rational part of our brain can be temporarily deactivated, allowing emotional beliefs to prevail.

The psychology behind this relates to the human need for certainty, even in an inherently uncertain world. When faced with facts that are difficult to accept or understand, we tend to seek more comforting explanations, even if they aren't necessarily true. In many cases, fear, anxiety, and the desire for social connection may lead us to prefer comforting beliefs over uncomfortable truths.

The Bitter Antidote

Aristotle defined truth as " to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not". This sounds simple, but in reality, it becomes more complicated. This is because truth can be painful, disturbing, or even overwhelming. In many cases, people prefer to live in ignorance, as accepting the truth may provoke existential anxiety. Perhaps that is why politicians, leaders, and institutions hold so much power when they create narratives that simplify reality. History has shown that those who try to tell the harsh truth often do not receive support from the majority. As Robert Greene points out in his Law of Irrationality, the truth is often a "bitter antidote" that few are willing to swallow.

A political candidate talking about the uncomfortable truth about their country's past would likely not win an election, as their statements would affect the public’s perception of their nation. Thus, we prefer to believe stories that bring us comfort, even if they are false. This phenomenon occurs not only in politics but in all areas of everyday life and business.

The Power of Beliefs

Belief in stories is not just a result of how our brains are structured but also influenced by the social and cultural forces around us. We live in a world saturated with information, and while we often believe that a lack of access to facts leads to ignorance, the overabundance of information can have a similar effect. Our ability to discern truth from falsehood is compromised by the excess of contradictory content we receive and consume.

Therefore, belief in stories is not simply an individual trait but a social phenomenon in which emotions, collective beliefs, and manipulation play a fundamental role. We often prefer to cling to simplified versions of reality that comfort us, rather than confronting the complexity and discomfort of the truth.

Final Consideration

Accepting that we are deeply emotional beings, more than rational ones, could be the first step in understanding why lies have such power over us. Like the metaphor of the car, where the rational driver must learn to navigate with an emotionally unstable co-pilot, we need to balance our emotions with our critical capacity. Perhaps by doing so, we can come closer to a truth that, although uncomfortable, is necessary for our growth as individuals and as a society.

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