The Gist Rebecca Lemov and the Instability of Truth
9 snips
Aug 11, 2025 
Rebecca Lemov, a Harvard historian of science and author of 'The Instability of Truth', takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the history of mind control. She discusses the unsettling legacy of Cold War brainwashing practices, including MKUltra, and reveals how social media manipulates beliefs today. Lemov also explores our inherent suggestibility and how 'cultish' behavior seeps into modern life, from crypto enthusiasts to trendy products. It's a thought-provoking look at the fragility of truth in a persuasive world.
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How ‘Brainwashing’ Entered English
- The English idea of "brainwashing" was popularized by OSS agent Edward Hunter in 1950, not by a native Chinese usage.
- Rebecca Lemov shows Hunter recast obscure Chinese terms into a Cold War weapon narrative.
Mind, Heart, And Cultural Models
- Chinese characters link mind and heart, so their idea of "brainwashing" reads more like changing the heart than the brain.
- Rebecca Lemov argues this reveals cultural differences in where we locate thought and feeling.
POW Journals And Forced Introspection
- Korean War POWs faced sustained deprivation, then formalized thought-reform techniques that forced introspection and confessions.
- Morris Willis and many others were made to write journals about family, resentments, and country as part of that process.
