Truth-telling is the only way to escape propaganda-empowered totalitarianism, a Belgian psychology professor told an international conference.Mattias Desmet, author of the 2022 book The Psychology of Totalitarianism, urged attendees of the International Crisis Summit IV in Bucharest, Romania to tell the truth and challenge propagandist lies.“Truth speech is an art, an art we can learn. And we should try to learn it, because I think it's the only way out of totalitarianism,” said the University of Ghent professor.“We shouldn't feel powerless. We all have power. And that makes us all responsible. We should all do our best, no matter where we are, to speak out in a sincere way.”The professor, who was banned by his university from using his book in a classroom setting, said the path to totalitarianism is the end result of the materialist, rationalist view of man that took hold centuries ago.“The new elite that emerged, starting from the French Revolution onwards, I think, made excessive use of propaganda to keep control over society,” he said.Increasing levels of loneliness empowered increasing levels of propaganda. The result of this “diabolic pact” was that people looked to government propaganda and a collective ideal to find relationship and meaning, instead of people.“More and more people started to feel lonely, started to feel disconnected, disconnected from fellow human beings and disconnected from their social environment,” he said.“More and more propaganda [was used] to control the population, which became more and more vulnerable.”Desmet concluded authoritarianism is a “disease” and a “psychological problem” which requires a psychological solution he calls “truth-telling, true speech, sincere speech.”The author is researching a sequel to his previous book to provide solutions. He said history has demonstrated that a few people telling the truth restores relationship and breaks up propaganda.“They will usually not succeed in waking up the masses, but they will make sure that the masses don't go to this ultimate stage where they start to be convinced they have to destroy and eliminate each and every one who doesn't go along with them,” Desmet explained.“Sincere speech…inhibits mass formation…truth speech, sincere speech, is what really connects people to each other.”Desmet said society has the same complexity as physics, which means one part can affect the whole.“A small change in the vibration pattern of one water molecule changes the entire convection pattern in a boiling pot of water. And in the same way, a minor sincere word spoken will have an impact on the entire society. So we all have the responsibility to speak out,” he explained.“No matter where we can do it, in a television program, in a newspaper, but also at the kitchen table, in the supermarket, also there, we will have an impact on the entire system, we can all contribute to the solution. We shouldn't feel powerless. We all have power. And that makes us all responsible.”The professor mentioned a “wonderful” insight of Mahatma Ghandi’s autobiography.“In the introduction of his book, he says, 'I had no major talents at all. I was not handsome. I was not physically strong. I was not intelligent at school. I was not a good writer. And I was not a good speaker. But I had this passion for truth speech,'” Desmet recalled.“In this way, this man, without any great talent, became the most powerful man of India. He did something that even the strongest army in the world couldn't do at that moment, he kicked out the English from India.”Desmet told the audience they were on the “verge of a big metaphysical revolution.”“We have to change from a society which is based on the organizing principle of propaganda to a society which is based on the organizing principle of sincerity. And each of us here can contribute to it and I hope we will all do so,” he said.“Even a small minority of us is sufficient, if we are determined and dedicated to truth and to sincerity, to break the power of the most impressive propaganda system the world has ever seen. We can and will and must do it.”
Truth-telling is the only way to escape propaganda-empowered totalitarianism, a Belgian psychology professor told an international conference.Mattias Desmet, author of the 2022 book The Psychology of Totalitarianism, urged attendees of the International Crisis Summit IV in Bucharest, Romania to tell the truth and challenge propagandist lies.“Truth speech is an art, an art we can learn. And we should try to learn it, because I think it's the only way out of totalitarianism,” said the University of Ghent professor.“We shouldn't feel powerless. We all have power. And that makes us all responsible. We should all do our best, no matter where we are, to speak out in a sincere way.”The professor, who was banned by his university from using his book in a classroom setting, said the path to totalitarianism is the end result of the materialist, rationalist view of man that took hold centuries ago.“The new elite that emerged, starting from the French Revolution onwards, I think, made excessive use of propaganda to keep control over society,” he said.Increasing levels of loneliness empowered increasing levels of propaganda. The result of this “diabolic pact” was that people looked to government propaganda and a collective ideal to find relationship and meaning, instead of people.“More and more people started to feel lonely, started to feel disconnected, disconnected from fellow human beings and disconnected from their social environment,” he said.“More and more propaganda [was used] to control the population, which became more and more vulnerable.”Desmet concluded authoritarianism is a “disease” and a “psychological problem” which requires a psychological solution he calls “truth-telling, true speech, sincere speech.”The author is researching a sequel to his previous book to provide solutions. He said history has demonstrated that a few people telling the truth restores relationship and breaks up propaganda.“They will usually not succeed in waking up the masses, but they will make sure that the masses don't go to this ultimate stage where they start to be convinced they have to destroy and eliminate each and every one who doesn't go along with them,” Desmet explained.“Sincere speech…inhibits mass formation…truth speech, sincere speech, is what really connects people to each other.”Desmet said society has the same complexity as physics, which means one part can affect the whole.“A small change in the vibration pattern of one water molecule changes the entire convection pattern in a boiling pot of water. And in the same way, a minor sincere word spoken will have an impact on the entire society. So we all have the responsibility to speak out,” he explained.“No matter where we can do it, in a television program, in a newspaper, but also at the kitchen table, in the supermarket, also there, we will have an impact on the entire system, we can all contribute to the solution. We shouldn't feel powerless. We all have power. And that makes us all responsible.”The professor mentioned a “wonderful” insight of Mahatma Ghandi’s autobiography.“In the introduction of his book, he says, 'I had no major talents at all. I was not handsome. I was not physically strong. I was not intelligent at school. I was not a good writer. And I was not a good speaker. But I had this passion for truth speech,'” Desmet recalled.“In this way, this man, without any great talent, became the most powerful man of India. He did something that even the strongest army in the world couldn't do at that moment, he kicked out the English from India.”Desmet told the audience they were on the “verge of a big metaphysical revolution.”“We have to change from a society which is based on the organizing principle of propaganda to a society which is based on the organizing principle of sincerity. And each of us here can contribute to it and I hope we will all do so,” he said.“Even a small minority of us is sufficient, if we are determined and dedicated to truth and to sincerity, to break the power of the most impressive propaganda system the world has ever seen. We can and will and must do it.”
