Fear and doubt serve as powerful tools in the political landscape, and disinformation is used by politicians to manipulate public perception and sow confusion. By labeling legitimate investigations or criticisms as witch hunts, these leaders attempt to delegitimize the concerns raised against them. This tactic not only deflects attention from the actual issues at hand but also erodes trust in the democratic process. Using common sense when evaluating information can help counteract these manipulative strategies.

To discover how we can inoculate ourselves against fear and cultural viruses, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a lecturer of cultural history at the Department of History and Art History at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, Steije Hofhuis PhD.

Steije shares historical information about how witch hunts spread and how ideas about witchcraft adapted in new ways that stimulated more witch prosecutions. His research shows that cultural viruses, or mindbugs, adapted and evolved in a Darwinian manner throughout certain geographical areas and periods.

This episode is a special edition of the Good Citizens Election Season Survival Guide designed to help restore common sense and sanity in a crazy world…

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Steije Hofhuis — Disinformation, Mind Games, and Witch Hunts: 

•  Commonalities of those suspected of witchcraft throughout history. {2:38}
•  Cultural viruses, like disinformation, can evolve in a Darwinian way by adapting to an environment and spreading through people. {5:30}
• A mini ice age in the 1500s led people to fear that people within their communities were allying with the devil to promote a diabolical conspiracy. {8:22}
• Critical thinkers of the time warned that using torture would create false confessions, gossip, and allegations {12:58}

Meet Our Guest:

Steije Hofhuis, PhD is a cultural historian at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and a postdoctoral researcher at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). His work primarily focuses on European witch-hunting, Darwinian theory, and migration history.

His research offers a compelling perspective on one of history's most persistent and insidious cultural memes.

“It's purely speculative to inject fear into society and make people believe that if they don't believe like them it will be the end of days.” - Lisa Cypers Kamen 

Searching for more ways to sharpen your critical thinking skills? Visit www.harvestinghappiness.com today!