People don’t want the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.—Friedrich Nietzsche
By the end of 2025, journalists will no longer need convincing that truth is under attack. What we still need to understand, honestly and without arrogance, is why truth itself has become so difficult for people to accept, even when the evidence is abundant and the consequences are clear.
This question matters because journalism doesn’t exist in isolation. We cover human psychology.
The Brain Is Not Wired for Truth
The brain is wired for survival. Decades of research in cognitive psychology show that humans are not neutral processors of information. We are, as psychologist Daniel Kahneman documented in his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, pattern-seeking, shortcut-taking creatures. Our brains evolved to prioritize speed, belonging, and threat avoidance, not accuracy.
Truths that challenge identity, tribe, or worldview cause discomfort. Neuroscientists refer to this as cognitive dissonance, a term introduced by psychologist Leon Festinger, which describes the mental stress that happens when facts clash with beliefs. People naturally try to lessen that stress, often by rejecting the facts.
Journalists need to understand this, not to excuse it, but to confront it.
Identity Now Outweighs Evidence
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has shown that moral reasoning usually follows intuition, not the other way around. People first decide what feels right for their group, then justify it afterward. In polarized environments, accepting inconvenient truths can feel like betrayal. Research from the Pew Research Center and MIT Sloan has shown that false or emotionally charged information spreads faster than verified facts, especially when it confirms preexisting beliefs. Truth doesn’t travel poorly because it is weak; it travels poorly because it is often complex, conditional, and uncomfortable.
Journalism requires people to accept discomfort. That is a significant request, which aligns with a quote attributed to James A. Garfield: “The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.”
Power Exploits Human Weakness
Authoritarian and demagogic leaders do not create these psychological tendencies; they exploit them. Political scientist Hannah Arendt warned that constant exposure to lies does not make people believe lies; it makes them distrust the very idea of truth. Once that happens, power no longer needs persuasion. It needs exhaustion.
When truth feels exhausting, lies appear simpler.
Journalism’s Unpopular Role
Journalists are often criticized for appearing arrogant when they demand evidence. In reality, journalism is a humble profession: A discipline grounded in verification, correction, and accountability. The problem isn’t that the truth can’t be known. It’s that uncovering it requires effort, curiosity, and moral courage from both the messenger and the audience.
As we approach the end of 2025, journalists must resist the urge to reduce this crisis to just a story about “misinformation.” The real challenge is human. The truth is complex because it requires people to change, and change can feel threatening.
Which leads to the second, more urgent question:
What occurs when the truth is not only rejected but intentionally ignored?
More on that next week in SCOOP.