Preference Falsification on the Right and the Left

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In the 20 16 presidential election, donald trump was a very unusual candidate. He articulated views that many people may have held, but were uncomfortably expressing themselves. In into personal conversations and debates, he regularly insulted many of his opponents. Sometimes he went so far as to insult not just his opponents, but the families of his opponent. There's a parallel here in the tactics being employed to build and maintain power.

We all self-censor at times. We keep quiet at dinner with our in-laws, or nod passively in a work meeting. But what happens when we take this deception a step further, and pretend we believe the opposite of what we really feel? In this favorite episode from 2020, economist and political scientist Timur Kuran explains how our personal, professional and political lives are shaped by the fear of what other people think.

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