12 Disinformation Tactics Being Used Against Us

Don’t take the bait!

Photo by Lacie Slezak on Unsplash

With so much information and disinformation flying at us from every direction, every minute of the day, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and afraid. What naturally follows is withdrawal, perhaps while lobbing a counter-offensive grenade or two, into more deeply entrenched opposing positions. The divide grows deeper and someone else gains more power.

We all fall prey to these tactics, no matter how smart or good-hearted. Sometimes I find myself lapsing into “they” language, imagining a “they” who are both evil and stupid. Sometimes I become upset and fearful about the future being painted for our nation and world, forfeiting the agency of the here and now to shape the future. For a minute I forget that my direct experience has shown me far more good people than bad, and that my faith can accommodate suffering because I know Life Force is constantly driven toward healing and wholeness.

When I walk away and shake it off, I’m alarmed that I can be pulled so far away from my belief that people deserve my respect and love, period. We all have a right to our beliefs and opinions. How can I question theirs while demanding mine? How does this happen?

This is not my best self. If ever the planet needed our best selves — True You — this is it! I am committed to doing the work that allows me to serve others with my gifts and strengths. Getting there is not always easy, especially now with crisis layered upon crisis. I had to empower myself — to decode the weapon being used against me — so I did some research.

What follows are twelve divisive, deceitful tactics that are commonly used by people in power to create ambiguity, dissolve trust and polarize division. Some of them have literary origins. Some of them are variations of “Disinformation,” from the Russian word dezinformatsiya, coined by Joseph Stalin. All of them are common in all forms of media today, on all sides of any issue or political spectrum. You have been victim of them.

Where to Begin

Disarming the disinformation tactics that are being used to divide-and-conquer us requires the practice of Objective Awareness:

• Objectivity defuses the tactic, removing its emotional charge…