Why do people vote the way they do?
Sheldon Solomon
Psychology professor Sheldon Solomon—an expert on humans' deep, embedded terrors about
mortality—will discuss fear and voting at a Skidmore regional event for alumni and
others in New York City. The talk, "Election 2016: Fatal Attraction," takes place
this Thursday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the New York Society for Ethical Culture;
tickets can be reserved here.
Donald Trump's candidacy is making the 2016 presidential race one of the most spirited
and intense in decades. In examining Trump's campaign rhetoric, Solomon will draw
on Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death, Erich Fromm's Escape from Freedom, Eric Hoffer's The True Believer, and Marshall McLuhan's notion that "the medium is the message."
Solomon himself is the co-author of In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror and The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. A campus favorite for his engaging and dynamic speaking style, he was also featured
in the award-winning documentary Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality. He has earned awards from the American Psychological Association, International
Society for Self and Identity, and other groups.
Watch Solomon's lecture from Reunion 2016 on how fear influences voting:
