Opinion – Bernardo Guimarães: The failure that paved the way for coup acts

The weekend’s acts raise questions about misinformation, fake news and mass manipulation. How can so many people become so convinced about beliefs that seem implausible to us?

Much has been said about the role of social media and the disinformation strategies used to sustain fictional narratives — and we still have a lot to learn about it.

But social media doesn’t move our neurons around. Messages triggered by WhatsApp do not install chips that change the configuration of our brain.

The fundamental flaw is in our heads. Sometimes, we end up believing that a second Sun will appear in the sky to realign the orbits of the planets. Not because we are always silly, but because we have vulnerabilities that lead us to make serious mistakes.

These vulnerabilities have been studied by psychologists for a long time — and exploited by marketers for decades.

In the 1980s, psychologist Robert Cialdini published the book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”, which would become a classic in the field. Much has been written since then on the subject. Still, the book continues to bring important teachings.

One of those lessons is that we like to be and appear consistent.

Bringing it to today, when we send a post on a social network, we become more predisposed to believe or defend the opinions of the same person or group.

Our desire for consistency leads us to agree with opinions we have previously expressed and to act consistent with our past actions. This opens doors for us to be led, little by little, to acts that we would initially reject with certainty.

Likewise, if we pay a high cost for something, we will want to believe that there is an important benefit. For example, if we decide to go camping uncomfortable for some cause, we will do everything to convince ourselves that the cause is worth all the effort.

A second important point is that if everyone around us agrees on something, we instinctively tend to agree.

The book recounts a study by three University of Minnesota scientists on a cult in Chicago who believed that a great calamity would happen on a certain day—but the cult’s participants would be saved by flying saucers. The study was published in a book entitled “When Prophecy Fails”.

The book documents the saga of people leaving jobs and families, their bizarre rituals and the enormous disappointment when the flying saucer doesn’t come and the world doesn’t end.

One of the study’s interesting findings is that, prior to the announced catastrophe, cult participants, convinced of their beliefs, paid little attention to the various journalists who approached them. However, when the world doesn’t end, they begin to actively seek out the press (and anyone passing by) to explain what had happened, trying to convince the world of their beliefs.

Convincing other people is a way of remaining convinced of our opinions. Hearing opinions similar to ours gives us confidence in our beliefs.

In addition to valuing consistency and tending to agree with those around us, we also like to feel part of a group. I believe that these elements help us to understand, a little, how we got to where we are.

It is important to understand our vulnerabilities to understand what happens in the world, but also to reduce the chances of being ourselves the unwary used as a mass of maneuver by those who exploit these human vulnerabilities.