The presidential candidates are being unduly criticized for lying. The fault is not in our politicians, but within us. We want to hear lies that confirm our dearly held ideologies. The pleasure centers of our brains burn brightly when our ideologies are reinforced and turn cold in response to nasty facts that contradict what we wish to believe. As a result, we reward with our votes those candidates who lie to us.
Lies uttered by ideological adversaries are easily discerned as such, but objectivity is lost in proclamations from ideological bedfellows, fortifying the ideologue's certainty. No wonder the electorate is so polarized and government deadlocked.
The overwhelming evidence for human-caused climate change is extinguished in the deniers' minds when Sarah Palin smugly asserts that she doesn't believe it. Hell with the 97 percent of climate scientists who are convinced by the data. Hell with consilience. The deniers know better, delightfully wringing their hands as they cherry-pick for scraps of data that validate their faith.
Those who believe that vaccines cause autism don't want to hear about the lack of evidence for their convictions. They prefer testimonials to facts, confuse correlation with causation and scour the Internet in search of "evidence" that supports their ideology rather than the medical research.
Protesters against genetically modified foods are not dissuaded by the dearth of supporting facts. Instead, they write it off as a corporate conspiracy.
Alien abduction zealots, on the other hand, point to a government cover-up.
The list goes on. This pathology cuts across party affiliations.
The defense against self-deception is the scientific method; but even science has come under attack when it conflicts with the ideologue's cherished beliefs. Science is implicitly humble, admitting that truth is difficult to come by.
This tiny perceived flaw is attacked by the ideologue who equates his or her gaping ignorance with the small uncertainty of science - no matter how tiny - proclaiming that "science is uncertain, so my belief in Biblical creation, denial of evolution and conviction in a 6,000-year-old Earth is as valid as the science that conflicts with this view." The fact that we can never be 100 percent certain does not make all beliefs equal.
Reality, rather than wishful thinking, drives complex technologies and social institutions on which we depend. Solutions to problems require a deep understanding of how things work, which guides a nuanced course of action that is not amenable to sound bites and campaign slogans. Often, the optimum response is counterintuitive and defies common sense. Ideology co-opts reason and leads to actions that run counter to our priorities. If we are truly interested in solving societal ills, we should set aside subjective passions and act upon objective evidence.
The next time you become irate by the lies, take a look in the mirror. The politicians will continue to lie to us as long as we continue to lie to ourselves. It's time for us to make an effort to be honest with ourselves and to apply some scientific thinking in our lives. Only then can we come together and begin to solve the horrendous problems that lie ahead.
Mark G. Kuzyk is regents professor of physics at Washington State University specializing in nonlinear optics.
