674: Social Psychologist, Owen Fitzpatrick on Why the Most Dangerous Propaganda Is the Story You Tell Yourself

Owen Fitzpatrick has spent years studying propaganda, belief systems, and decision-making in places such as North Korea, Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Iran. In this conversation, he explains why the same psychological mechanisms that shape societies also shape the decisions of executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs.

The central insight is that the greatest influence often comes from within. As Owen explains, "What really convinces us is the way in which we convince ourselves." He adds, "Our ability to persuade ourselves of certain things is actually the dominant force that determines whether or not a person will be open to ideas."

Owen shares the deeply personal experience that began this journey: at age fourteen, while writing a suicide note, a single question interrupted the story he was telling himself and completely changed the direction of his life. That moment became the foundation of what he now calls inner propaganda—the internal process through which attention, emotion, and identity create certainty.

The discussion explores why evidence alone rarely changes minds. Instead, people change when a question shifts how they feel about a belief and how that belief fits their identity. Owen introduces practical tools including the Belief Audit, evaluating whether a belief is useful rather than simply true, and rating certainty on a 0–100 scale instead of treating opinions as absolute facts. He also explains why negative emotions are valuable clues—provided we ask whether they're helping us or harming us in a given situation.

One of the most practical moments addresses the belief, "I'm not good enough." Owen argues that the statement is impossible to evaluate because it lacks any clear standard. Rather than judging ourselves, he recommends asking: Where am I now? Where do I want to be? What do I need to do to get there? Turning self-criticism into an action plan is far more productive than chasing an undefined idea of "good enough."

The conversation closes with a powerful lesson for leaders. "Being right is not enough." "What really works is changing the way in which people feel." And, "If you want to be able to influence somebody… you have to start with how they feel."

This episode offers practical strategies for questioning assumptions, making better decisions, and leading more effectively by understanding the stories we use to persuade ourselves.

Get Owen's book, Inner Propaganda, here: https://tinyurl.com/mu96f9ph

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