Brian Kurilla
@briankurilla.bsky.social
Experimental psychologist living in Raleigh, NC | Data Nerd | Posting (longish) musings about psychology, social behavior, politics, and everything in between.
Savvy politicians realize all this, of course, and exploit our cognitive vulnerabilities for their own gains (and our collective losses). The result isn’t just distorted thinking about issues — it’s distorted thinking about ourselves and each other.
September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Savvy politicians realize all this, of course, and exploit our cognitive vulnerabilities for their own gains (and our collective losses). The result isn’t just distorted thinking about issues — it’s distorted thinking about ourselves and each other.
And “should” statements — things should be this way, they must not be that way — leave us unable to cope when reality refuses to match our demands.
September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM
And “should” statements — things should be this way, they must not be that way — leave us unable to cope when reality refuses to match our demands.
Black-and-white thinking turns every policy debate into “us vs. them.” Confirmation bias pushes us to seek only the evidence that affirms our side. Catastrophizing makes every setback feel like the end of the world.
September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Black-and-white thinking turns every policy debate into “us vs. them.” Confirmation bias pushes us to seek only the evidence that affirms our side. Catastrophizing makes every setback feel like the end of the world.
The corrosiveness of politics hinges on faulty patterns of thinking — the very same cognitive distortions mental health professionals have warned about for decades.
September 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM
The corrosiveness of politics hinges on faulty patterns of thinking — the very same cognitive distortions mental health professionals have warned about for decades.
But as a human being, I accept that even if it is a fantasy, it’s probably a useful one — for the most part. And I guess sometimes happiness requires the ability to lie to yourself.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
But as a human being, I accept that even if it is a fantasy, it’s probably a useful one — for the most part. And I guess sometimes happiness requires the ability to lie to yourself.
So as a psychologist, I still don’t really believe in the notion of free will. It simply doesn’t make sense as a scientific concept. It’s too magical.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
So as a psychologist, I still don’t really believe in the notion of free will. It simply doesn’t make sense as a scientific concept. It’s too magical.
Whether true or not, who really wants to believe they’re nothing more than an automaton responding to forces outside their control? Not even me, I suppose.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Whether true or not, who really wants to believe they’re nothing more than an automaton responding to forces outside their control? Not even me, I suppose.
Yet belief in free will also gives us motivation and meaning. It gives us the sense that we can become something more than the sum of our inputs.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Yet belief in free will also gives us motivation and meaning. It gives us the sense that we can become something more than the sum of our inputs.
Psychologists even have a name for this mistake: the fundamental attribution error. Free will — or at least the illusion of it — is what makes it easy for us to blame rather than to understand.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Psychologists even have a name for this mistake: the fundamental attribution error. Free will — or at least the illusion of it — is what makes it easy for us to blame rather than to understand.
When someone does or says something we don’t like, we explain it by appealing to their personality or character, rather than the circumstances that shaped their behavior.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
When someone does or says something we don’t like, we explain it by appealing to their personality or character, rather than the circumstances that shaped their behavior.
It’s an open question, of course, as to whether belief in free will results in a net gain for humanity. On the one hand, it’s our belief in free will that often makes us cruel and uncaring. That’s something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, amid new instances of political violence.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
It’s an open question, of course, as to whether belief in free will results in a net gain for humanity. On the one hand, it’s our belief in free will that often makes us cruel and uncaring. That’s something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, amid new instances of political violence.
We process sentences in the active voice more easily than those in the passive. We look for agents, for doers, for will. It’s as if our cognitive machinery resists the idea that events can simply unfold without a human hand directing them.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
We process sentences in the active voice more easily than those in the passive. We look for agents, for doers, for will. It’s as if our cognitive machinery resists the idea that events can simply unfold without a human hand directing them.
And yet, we cling to the idea that we are in control of our own actions. In fact, belief in free will is so ingrained you can see it in actions as basic as language processing.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
And yet, we cling to the idea that we are in control of our own actions. In fact, belief in free will is so ingrained you can see it in actions as basic as language processing.
What use would any of our psychological theories and models be if, at the last second, some magical construct called “free will” could swoop in and hijack our decision-making?
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
What use would any of our psychological theories and models be if, at the last second, some magical construct called “free will” could swoop in and hijack our decision-making?
Psychology, economics, sociology — they all rest on the premise that human behavior is lawful enough to be studied, predicted, and influenced.
September 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Psychology, economics, sociology — they all rest on the premise that human behavior is lawful enough to be studied, predicted, and influenced.
Maybe if more of us found healthy outlets for that everyday agency, we wouldn’t need politics to carry the whole burden — and our disagreements wouldn’t collapse as often into zero-sum battles, which help no one.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Maybe if more of us found healthy outlets for that everyday agency, we wouldn’t need politics to carry the whole burden — and our disagreements wouldn’t collapse as often into zero-sum battles, which help no one.
On the surface, these might look like chores. But if you pay attention, you can recognize them as opportunities, too, to assert your will in a chaotic world. A chance to create order, make choices, leave a mark — however small — that says “this was mine to decide.”
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
On the surface, these might look like chores. But if you pay attention, you can recognize them as opportunities, too, to assert your will in a chaotic world. A chance to create order, make choices, leave a mark — however small — that says “this was mine to decide.”
For me, I notice that a sense of agency can come from extremely small and mundane acts. Choosing what groceries to buy, for instance. Or cooking dinner. Even just tidying up a cluttered space in my house.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
For me, I notice that a sense of agency can come from extremely small and mundane acts. Choosing what groceries to buy, for instance. Or cooking dinner. Even just tidying up a cluttered space in my house.
All this leads me to think about where else — besides politics — we can express agency and individuality healthily.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
All this leads me to think about where else — besides politics — we can express agency and individuality healthily.
If we have no other places to feel heard or in control, politics becomes a battleground for unmet needs of selfhood. And those on the other side of the political aisle become threats to our sense of self.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
If we have no other places to feel heard or in control, politics becomes a battleground for unmet needs of selfhood. And those on the other side of the political aisle become threats to our sense of self.
The problem, however, is when political identity becomes the only outlet for that sense of agency. When that happens the result can be toxic.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The problem, however, is when political identity becomes the only outlet for that sense of agency. When that happens the result can be toxic.
Sometimes the act of posting is simply about self-expression — about saying “I’m not like them.” A way to reclaim a sense of individuality.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Sometimes the act of posting is simply about self-expression — about saying “I’m not like them.” A way to reclaim a sense of individuality.
Arguably, that’s why many of us turn to social media. We know that posting about politics online won’t necessarily change anyone’s mind. But that’s often not the point.
August 30, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Arguably, that’s why many of us turn to social media. We know that posting about politics online won’t necessarily change anyone’s mind. But that’s often not the point.