The word “denialism” is on the people’s lips. Widely commented, the expression has been used to highlight the position of some people regarding the pandemic that the world has been experiencing for just over a year. But what is the real meaning of the word for science?
If on the one hand the expression is increasingly used by people, on the other it is important to understand how it is applied in the human body and its effects, reveals the PhD, neuroscientist, neuropsychologist and biologist Fabiano de Abreu: “Denialism releases dopamine, the reward hormone. When a person defends that argument, he wants to demonstrate at all costs that he is right, and so when it is released by the brain, the person starts to have feelings of happiness, joy and well-being. In addition to the desire to defend her argument, she is also nourished by that positive feeling”.
This explains, for example, the attitude of some internet deniers: “When they are down, they need to find methods to raise their morale and this virtual medium is theirs. After all, by attacking others and seeking, albeit negatively, a way to stand out and put your name in evidence”.
And denialism, in these cases, is fully linked to the need to be seen, observes Abreu: “When you deny something and expose it, you are also facing a case of narcissism. The dopamine in these cases ends up being released because you want to prove you are right in that argument. And this hormone is addictive, so you will need more and more nourishment from it. By defending your argument on the internet, you put your narcissistic side to everyone. And, meanwhile, the released dopamine will help you to get out of the negative situations you were living in”, he adds.
