When fear begins to rule society, demagogues easily steer it in the wrong direction. This was stated by psychiatrist and writer Dr. Lyubomir Kanov in the program “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov“ on NOVA. In the conversation, he commented on the influence of social networks, political suggestions and the state of Bulgarian society.
“When an infantile collective psyche is subject to primitive fears, it can very easily be steered in the wrong direction. All demagogues know this“, said Kanov. According to him, protection against manipulation involves reading, education and a critical attitude towards information from the media and the Internet.
The phone as a “black mirror“
Kanov defined the phone screen as the “black mirror“ of modern times. According to him, TikTok and other platforms affect the mass consciousness, and public opinion easily swings from one extreme to another.
“I try to imagine a politically infantile nation. I dare to call it that because of the countless wrong choices we have made so far“, said the psychiatrist.
He emphasized that the day of reflection alone cannot compensate for the lack of a permanently established civic culture. “If a nation waits for a single day to start thinking, woe to it. And this year we have three such days“, said Kanov.
Fears, conspiracies and political implications
In the conversation, Kanov drew a parallel between the imaginary monsters of Halloween and the real threats that worry societies. “The world really does seem like a worrying place in which the monsters of the past are waking up again“, he said.
According to him, suggestions about an impending war, chemicals sprayed from airplanes, chipping and technological surveillance are constantly spreading on the Internet. Kanov warned that when people are susceptible to such fears, they easily become targets of manipulation.
“That is why education, reading and critical thinking are so important“, the psychiatrist emphasized.
The Book of Personal Wounds and the Upright Man
On the occasion of his 82nd birthday, Lyubomir Kanov presented the book “Footprints“. In it, he returns to his personal history, emigration, losses and trials that he has gone through.
“We are beings who go through life with pain. We are born in pain, and some of us have also experienced what is called nostalgia – the pain of being one's own, of one's homeland, of what was lost," he said.
Kanov shared that his friends had described the book as autobiographical, "in which there are traces of feet, but not a single trace of knees." According to him, they saw him as an upright man.
The writer also spoke about a promise he made to his father when he was 17 years old - to study medicine, to become a doctor and psychiatrist, as well as to write. "I think I fulfilled this vow in his memory. And I do not regret it," Kanov said.
Comment on the elections in the United States
At the end of the conversation, the psychiatrist commented on the upcoming midterm elections in the United States. According to him, the battle for the Senate is fierce, and hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars are being invested in the campaigns.
Kanov expects particularly contested races in Texas, Iowa and other states where the differences between the candidates are small. He said that any appearance of President Donald Trump could have an impact on the outcome of such races, as well as his decisions on which candidates to support.
Sources: nova.bg