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CNLP 676 | Sharon McMahon on The Monetization of Hate, The Exhausted Majority, and How the Crave for Certainty Grows Churches and Influencers
The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
The Psychological Need for Certainty and Its Implications
Human beings have an innate craving for certainty, which is exacerbated by the overwhelming amount of information available today. The introduction of rapid communication technology, such as the telegraph, shifted public discourse from informed debate to superficial engagement with irrelevant news, leading individuals to cling to beliefs that promise certainty, sometimes resulting in extreme conspiracy theories. Individual differences in the tolerance for uncertainty and distress play a significant role in this phenomenon. Some people naturally handle uncertainty better, while others experience distress when faced with not knowing. This distress tolerance can be developed through therapeutic techniques. Consequently, those with low distress tolerance who seek firm beliefs and connections are more likely to engage deeply with conspiracy theories, underscoring the psychological need for certainty and how it affects behavior in society.
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