Subscribe now

Letter: Cocky pundits trumping reason

Published 5 October 2016

From Jörg Michael

James Hoggan says of the rhetoric of US presidential candidate Donald Trump that “People are mainlining… a cocktail of absolute certainty, strong opinion and talk of control… People turn to such versions of reality because it's mentally more comfortable than dealing with uncertainty and anxiety” (16 July, p 18). We have been here before.

In the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis you reported research showing that people prefer advice from a confident source, even forgiving a poor track record (6 June 2009, p 15).

Hanover, Germany

Issue no. 3094 published 8 October 2016

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop