Lies, violence, radicalization, and the subjective sphere of influence

Tam-Tri Le (*) Minh-Hoang Nguyen (**)
Phenikaa University (Hanoi, Vietnam)
(*) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3384-4827
(**) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7520-3844

Lies and violence are values that are integrated deeply into human culture, often distorted and interpreted in alignment with current dominant social norms (collective mindset) [1]. Vuong (2022) suggested that lies and violence are the tools dictators use to shape society (infosphere) into the projected system in their mind – a twisted, mirrored version of the naturally developed society [2]. In the information process of establishing a dictatorship, lies and violence are used to give the dictator the right (justification) to continue exerting higher degrees of lie and violence. When the dictatorship infosphere is successfully established, the distorted core values are reinforced within the system; thus, the dictator’s lies and violence become the new social norms [2].

Using the subjective spheres of influence and being influenced [3] for reasoning, we further explore the information-processing properties of lies and violence deeper. Based on the categorization of sphere deviation, we argue that lies mainly involve injecting curated information into the target’s mind to manipulate its filtering system and interpretation directions, while violence mainly involves forcefully blocking access to unwanted information and preventing corresponding behaviors. In other words, lies are used to make people delusional, and violence is used with the aim of making people stupid. For example, a particular viewpoint can be declared to be heresy as a lie. Then punishment is implemented for those who dare venture out to find other information about that viewpoint.


Figure: Deviation from reality due to lies and violence

By using such strategies for inducing subjective sphere deviation, the influencers (e.g., dictators) can “update” the influenced people’s mindsets into those that are more compatible with their vision (e.g., dictatorship). Due to violence, people cannot venture outside their “designated” comfort zone to access different values or receive objective feedback. Meanwhile, due to lies, the content of people’s information inputs is controlled. Terrorist organizations employ these tactics to justify their intentions and behaviors, and their members automatically reinforce such values [4]. For example, from the outside, suicide attacks are perceived as extremely immoral and irrational, but such behaviors are often deemed commendable and reasonable by the terrorists within that twisted infosphere.

In terms of information processing, radicalization can result from extreme stupidity, delusion, or a high degree of a mixture of both. Because rationality relies heavily on processing feedback from the objective environment to update one’s judgments accordingly, a high level of sphere deviation hinders this function, and the mind becomes more dependent on trust. Overdependence on trust and a lack of accurate knowledge is the optimal condition for radicalization. Conspiracy theories, cults, criminal organizations, political propaganda, toxic partners in relationships, etc., can manipulate their targets through the aforementioned pathways. A person who can control the subjective spheres of others’ minds will become their source of truth.

Acknowledgment: We thank our mentor, Dr. QH Vuong, for his insightful discussions on the mindsponge mechanism and the working of dictatorship.

References

[1] Vuong QH, et al. (2020). On how religions could accidentally incite lies and violence: Folktales as a cultural transmitter. Palgrave Communications, 6, 82.

[2] Vuong QH. (2022). Mindsponge-based theoretical reasoning on the political psychology that begets and empowers a dictator. In: QH Vuong, VP La, MH Nguyen (Eds.). The mindsponge and BMF analytics for innovative thinking in social sciences and humanities (pp. 363–402). De Gruyter.

[3] Nguyen MH, Le TT, Vuong QH. (2022). Ecomindsponge theory: A novel perspective on human psychology and behaviors in the ecosystem. Open Science Framework. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/sqtyk

[4] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH, Le TT. (2021). A Mindsponge-Based Investigation into the Psycho-Religious Mechanism Behind Suicide Attacks. De Gruyter.