New Year Offers Politicians a Tool to Obscure Past Failures

As the new year begins, politicians are leveraging the "new beginning effect" to present a fresh narrative, according to Professor Rafi Karsu. This psychological phenomenon, which fosters hope and a sense of control, can also be exploited to downplay past failures and sell the public a new future without accountability for the past.

The anticipation of a fresh start, while offering hope for change, can also induce stress and anxiety. Looking back can resurface fears of past missed opportunities, highlighting a deep-seated need for security, stability, and meaning. This personal, psychological aspect is closely intertwined with the public sphere, where political advisors and the system recognize and exploit the public's emotional sensitivity.

New Year's greetings and speeches are used as psychological tools to craft new narratives, obscure past issues, and implant suggestions. Leaders utilize the "beginning effect" to frame failures and crises as belonging to the past, mentally neutralizing personal responsibility and diverting attention to promises of renewal, unity, and stability. The media's intense focus on year-end summaries and forward-looking perspectives amplifies this dynamic.

While some individuals experience a conscious or subconscious awakening and demand for change, others may feel apathy. The new beginning thus represents a dual space: a vital psychological mechanism offering hope and opportunity for personal growth, and fertile ground for manipulative tactics aimed at selling a future without accounting for the past.

Karsu emphasizes the civic and psychological challenge of embracing hope and control without sacrificing skepticism and memory. He warns of the significant gap between present promises and future realities, expressing a personal hope that the end of the new year will not reveal that problems remain or have worsened, leading to despair and a loss of faith in the system.