The Stench of Propaganda Clings to Everything

Let “propaganda” be very roughly defined as any attempt to shape an audience’s beliefs for purposes other than informing them of the truth. So defined, reflecting on several features of propaganda should induce a sense of epistemological vertigo. More specifically, it should substantially increase your confidence that you’re a propagandist and that your beliefs have been powerfully distorted by propaganda.

First, propagandists can have many different motivations. In some cases, they seek to manipulate an audience’s beliefs for selfish, manipulative reasons. Think, for example, of tobacco companies that sought to manufacture doubt about the dangers of smoking, or politicians who aim to convince audiences that a fair election was stolen from them.

However, much propaganda is prosocial. When parents seek to persuade their children that Santa Claus exists to encourage good behaviour (“Have you been good for Santa?”), they are engaged in propaganda. When people seek to convince their community that a moralising God or supernatural force exists as a way of encouraging good behaviour (“Have you been good for God?”), they are engaged in propaganda. When a social justice activist exaggerates racism, sexism, or the dangers of climate change to get apathetic citizens to care about such things, they are engaged in propaganda.

Propaganda can also be performative. People are obsessive impression managers. In many contexts, people propagandise not to convince audiences that a message is true but to signal that they, the propagandist, sincerely and passionately believe it. “Here are five reasons why X is important” conveys the message that you think X is important. Political or religious evangelism sends a credible signal of commitment and allegiance to your political or religious community and its shared values.

Second, humans are instinctive propagandists. It’s tempting to think of “propaganda” as the kind of thing that only powerful individuals and organisations do. But this is wrong. Humans are ultra-social primates. Throughout our evolutionary history, individual survival and success were strongly dependent on the ability to influence other people in advantageous ways. Propaganda is an essential tool of influence.

When you selectively release flattering photos for your Instagram or dating profile, you are engaged in propaganda. When you frame your life choices and traits in self-serving or self-aggrandising ways, you are engaged in propaganda. When you talk about politics in ways biased by partisan, class, or demographic allegiances, you are engaged in propaganda.

Third, people