Member-only story
How to Get People to Care about Truth in Politics?
A conversation worth having, the day before the election
By Tim Ward
Adapted from Pro Truth: A Practical Plan for Putting Truth Back into Politics, by Tim Ward and Gleb Tsipursky
Do you feel angry and disgusted when politicians lie, even those whose policies and ideology you otherwise support? Do you intuitively recognize the danger of lies in politics? Do you ever wonder why many of your fellow citizens give such politicians a pass, ignoring their deceit?
I hope you answered “yes” to these questions: I do too. Some people care about the truth first and foremost, regardless of their personal values — liberal, conservative, or centrist. However, unfortunately, those passionate about the truth tend to be outliers, as illustrated by Jonathan Haidt, in his 2012 The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics and Religion. He describes extensive research that shows what values are most prized by mainstream liberals (such as justice, fairness, and equality), and conservatives (including purity, safety, and security). Truth is not among the top values for either group. This helps explain why so many do not intuitively recognize the harm done by deception to democratic institutions, whether in the US or around the globe. People put their ideological beliefs first, and then…
