All in the Mind What is beliefism, and can you spot a liar?
Oct 14, 2025
Paul Dolan, a behavioral science professor at LSE and author of 'Beliefism', explores the impact of belief-based discrimination and how engaging with differing views can reduce polarization. He shares practical steps to foster tolerance and acknowledges the challenges in socially sorting by beliefs. Joining him, Pete Olusoga highlights how awareness of large-scale issues can diminish personal motivation, while Sharon Leal offers insights into effective lie detection techniques, emphasizing the power of verbal cues over physical signals in police interviews.
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Beliefism Defined And Its Cost
- Beliefism is discrimination based on what people think rather than who they are.
- Paul Dolan warns this leads us to dismiss useful ideas from those we disagree with.
Polarisation Is Emotional Not Just Ideological
- Affective polarisation is growing: we feel more hostile toward those who disagree with us.
- Paul Dolan links this rise partly to social media rewarding moral performance over nuance.
Design Environments To Reduce Beliefism
- Design environments to encourage engagement rather than rely on goodwill alone.
- Paul Dolan suggests tactics like delaying angry posts and creating psychological safety to learn from mistakes.