Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) Belief with Dan Williams
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Sep 23, 2025 Join philosopher Dan Williams from the University of Sussex as he delves into the nature of belief, misinformation, and delusion. He examines why we cling to bizarre beliefs and the social motivations behind them. Williams critiques the concept of self-deception in favor of understanding propaganda and signaling. Discover how beliefs can be compartmentalized, the adaptive reasons for internalizing propagated ideas, and the implications of our biases on daily life. Enjoy insights on navigating controversial topics in research and the pursuit of truth.
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Sincere But Compartmentalized Beliefs
- Many beliefs are compartmentalized: people sincerely endorse propositions without letting them guide everyday behavior.
- Religious and conspiratorial examples show belief can be social signaling rather than world-modeling.
Belief Mimicry Creates Signal Problems
- Beliefs function as powerful social cues that others try to imitate or fake as signals.
- This creates mimicry and makes differentiating genuine belief from performance difficult by design.
Advocacy Often Produces Conviction
- Advocacy can accidentally persuade the advocate because biased search and argument recruitment yields seeming evidence.
- Internalization often follows sustained propaganda work, not just deliberate self-deception.
