ViewpointsOpinionThe Courage to Admit Mistakes in PublicSavePrintBasiony_Design/ShutterstockMattias Desmet12/28/2023|Updated: 12/28/20230:00X 1CommentaryDear friends,We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.Share this articleLeave a commentMattias DesmetAuthorMattias Desmet is a professor of psychology at Ghent University and author of “The Psychology of Totalitarianism.” He articulated the theory of mass formation during the COVID-19 pandemic.Author’s Selected ArticlesCensorship in Our Materialist WorldJun 17, 2025Who’s Better at Raising Your Child, You or the State?May 17, 2023Who Is Better at Raising Your Child, You or the State?May 15, 2023My Book Is Being BurnedFeb 17, 2023Related Topicshonestysmearingcouragelonelinesstotalitarianismmass formationAdmitting Mistakessincere speechopen-mindednesssincerityresonant speech