By Gary L. Wenk, Professor of  Psychology, Neuroscience and Molecular Virology, Ohio State University

The human brain has a region of the frontal lobes that is apparently very good at producing the lies that we tell to ourselves and to each other. This region of the brain becomes active when you perform complex behaviors such as lying. Lying is apparently a complex task that requires a considerable attentional ability, a vast memory for past events, and significant participation by this frontal brain region. These highly evolved brain regions allow us to be rather good liars.  

Psychologists believe that most of us tell a lie to someone we know at least twice a day, and that within a period of one week, we lie to nearly one-third of the individuals that we meet. Some individuals, such as narcissists, are born with cortical proclivities that induce them to lie almost constantly for the simple reason that they do not care about telling the truth. This may explain why narcissists, such as former President Donald Trump, are more likely to become wealthier and more powerful than the rest of us.

Lying, or myth-making, has been a common feature of human behavior that has had profound consequences throughout history. Trump is simply a recent example of leaders trying to control their followers by offering a comfortable myth that is consistent with their own fears and desires.

The human brain is capable of retaining an un-provable “fact” even when presented with rational and substantial evidence that it is wrong. This resilience to accepting fact over fiction is probably as ancient as the Homo sapien brain. The original lies that humans told each other were the creation myths; they brought comfort in a scary world where events seemed out of their control. One of the earliest and well-known of these is the Babylonian creation myth Enūma Eliš that was found written on clay tablets in cuneiform script. It describes the creation of the world and a battle between gods; the story is focused on the god Marduk. If you lived in Mesopotamia four thousand years ago you probably worshipped Marduk and were comforted by the knowledge that he would take care of your personal interests, such as bringing good luck or good health. You would have truly believed the myth; you would have willingly killed or died for the honor of serving Marduk. During the intervening millennia, the names of the creator gods changed to Faro (who incidentally saved the world from a flood by building an arc) or Unkulunkulu (if you were a Zulu). No matter when or where you lived, you embraced the lie because doing so made it more likely that you would survive.

“Humans love a good myth that is rich with heroes who seem larger than life, who fight against injustice and lead people against their oppressors. This need fit exceptionally well with the narrative Trump was offering.” 

That is the critical first step: In order for these creation myths to work people had to ascribe to them a level of truth. The myth had to be repeated over and over again. No matter how unbelievable the stories might sound, the believers accepted the lies as fact and, most importantly, acted as though the details were all true. Trump’s followers only needed to tune into their favorite pundit on social media and be told the lies they wanted, and needed, to be true.

Humans love a good myth that is rich with heroes who seem larger than life, who fight against injustice and lead people against their oppressors. This need fit exceptionally well with the narrative Trump was offering. His myths reduced the feeling that the world is dangerous and frightening because it is full of chaos and scary people. Trump’s lies comforted and confirmed their fears. Carl Sagan wrote in The Demon-Haunted World that the “combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces.” Sagan warned that the only way to combat the myths was science and knowledge; this is why Trump never failed to attack science at every possible opportunity. 

Gary L. Wenk is Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience & Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics at the Ohio State University and Medical Center. He is the author of “Your Brain on Food” (3rd Edition, 2019, Oxford University Press)