Many of us desire certainty. We don’t just want to believe, or even have fairly or very good grounds for believing. We want more still: cast-iron certainty.
Our craving for certainty can make us vulnerable to manipulation and even brainwashing. As scientist Kathleen Taylor points out, cults typically exploit the discomfort we feel when we experience uncertainty. By providing a simple set of certainties that cover and explain everything, and constantly reminding us of the chaos and uncertainties that lie outside, political and religious cultists can make their belief systems increasingly attractive, and increasingly difficult to leave.
As Taylor wrote in , “The contrast between the complicated, fragmented muddle of the unbeliever’s life and the pure simplicity of true belief is often emphasised by ideologues who understand the power of uncertainty to frighten and unnerve people who may
