“We know that Putin lives in illusions. It is not a figure of language or an image for internal use – unfortunately, it is a political and strategic reality. I think he is sincerely convinced that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people”, separated by a mistake of history; that Ukrainian statehood was invented by the Bolsheviks; that Russian is an automatic sign of loyalty to the imperial project; And that the event is weak, separated and sooner or later “tired.””, – WRITE: www.pravda.com.ua
Cognitive illusions are systematic distortions of thinking when we see the world not what it is, but as we want or convenient to see it. It’s not just mistakes – it’s a short -made way of making decisions that work quickly, intuitively, emotionally. For the first time, I learned about them many years ago from the book “Think slowly, decide quickly” Daniel Kaneman.
In this Best-seller book, the famous psychologist and Nobel laureate in the economy wrote about two modes of human thinking: “System 1” (fast, automatic, intuitive thinking that does not require effort and acts almost instantly) and “System 2” (slow, conscious, critical, analytical.
Advertising:
Illusions are born where we try quickly (especially in difficult and alarming situations) to find meaning, resistance, explanation. People almost always choose the first system and are often mistaken.
Putin certainly uses “System 2” for his decisions, but his “deep” thinking is limited by certain ideological and cognitive illusions. In these illusions, he sees the world through the old imperial narratives and his picture of the world, which exists only in his imagination. And that is why he makes decisions from year to year, which seem rational in his model of the world, but fatally false in reality.
It was these illusions that became a road card for him. But, as Ukrainians showed, this card did not correspond to the terrain. And that is why the army, which went “for three days”, buried in the first weeks of the war. That is why part of Russian society still lives in the imaginary world, where “its” goes according to the plan, where “Asvabazhniye” is grateful, where defeats are served as strategic regroups. In this parallel reality, everything except the truth. And while they are in it, we really have a chance to win.
But does this mean that only the enemy suffers from cognitive Illusion? Absolutely not. We are also vulnerable. For the third year we have been living in a state of collective injury. And often in a state of collective illusion. We convince ourselves that victory is close because it is difficult to withstand the opposite. That all the reforms move in the right direction, because otherwise it seems betrayal. We believe that “everyone stands as one” that “society is one”, and we can (sometimes consciously) not notice how disappointment, annoyance, a sense of impotence, even our loved ones and friends appear around.
Often, we also imagine that international support is guaranteed. That the world cannot leave us alone with Varvara. That good always must win, because … we were taught in books. But geopolitics does not always play by the laws of morality. She often plays interests. And when the event chooses caution instead of determination, we perceive it as betrayal, not as part of political reality. This is also an illusion: that the reality should be fair and partners are unconditionally devoted. The world is really much more complicated.
We are also inclined to simplify, look for simple “Holding, and everything will be good”, or “just give the drones, and the front will hold back”. It is also an illusion. Both war and politics are much more complex. It is impossible to act only based on the reaction of our collective “system 1”.
Many of these illusions are not accidental. Propaganda works with them methodically. In the enemy, she creates a closed information ecosystem, where the reality is not just distorted, but completely replaced by a fictional narrative: that Russia “gets out of his knees” that the whole world envies her that Ukrainians are waiting for “liberation”, and every defeat is a cunning maneuver. These narratives are repeated in news, schools, churches, films and become massive illusions that do not need facts because they live in emotions.
But propaganda not only works with the enemy. And in us, it also simplifies the complex, makes black and white what is actually colorful or gray, emotional, contradictory. It creates convenient images: heroes without fatigue, traitors without chance, future without detail. It’s convenient. It unites. But sooner or later it removes from reality.
And at the same time, it’s not so bad. Cognitive illusions are not only vulnerability but also a resource. Faith in victory, even when it is far; confidence in one’s own right, even when they are not heard; Hope, even without evidence, all helped to withstand the most difficult points in 2022. And still helps many live, act, work, fight. Illusions are a kind of psychological armor. They protect where pain, exhaustion and fear are otherwise. But armor does not wear all their lives. Otherwise it becomes a prison.
We have already learned to survive well. Now it’s worth learning to see. Because reality is not an enemy. She is a support. In it we can build strategies, plan actions, talk to each other honestly. And the less we depend on the illusions, the higher our chances not only to withstand, but also to win. Not in perfect, but in the real world.
Another psychiatrist, Victor Frankl, wrote in his world -famous book: the first to break those who believed that soon everything would end. After them, those who did not believe it would ever end. Those who focused on their actions survived without expectations of what may or cannot happen. And it is this ability – to be here, to see clearly, to act daily – today it becomes our main form of strength. Without illusions.
Vladislav Rashkovan
A column is a material that reflects the author’s point of view. The text of the column does not claim the objectivity and comprehensive coverage of the topic that rises in it. The editorial board of “Ukrainian Truth” is not responsible for the accuracy and interpretation of the information provided and plays only the role of the carrier. The point of view of the UP editorial board may not coincide with the point of view of the author of the column.