Michel Hayek: A growing danger to Lebanese mental health
Op-Ed by Taleen El Gharib, Staff Writer
January 12th, 2021
The demand for Michel Hayek’s appearance on shows prior to welcoming the New Year has grown alarmingly. Ever since his prediction of Qassem Soleimani’s assassination, the outrage regarding Trump’s “Deal of the Century”, and the Coronavirus pandemic, people have been anxious, yet eager to listen to what Hayek has to say about 2021. Now, several days after the New Year and the sea of predictions that Hayek has laid out for the people of Lebanon, his claims did not prove 2021 to be a promising year, and they have undeniably caused some unrest.
However, the growing concern over this trend of “fortune-telling” is primarily based on the subjugation of citizens and how the entertainment industry is commodifying people’s mistrust in legal authorities and media outlets. Surely, Hayek has been able to secure large amounts of money at a constantly high flowrate now that he successfully predicted a few events of the year 2020. He broke and redefined the boundaries of “fortune-telling”.
Initially, our image of mystic individuals might have been as such: tribal dress, crystal ball, tarot cards, and palm-reading. However, Hayek’s success has challenged this understanding from a more imaginative, outdated, and even non-progressive image to that of a man in a suit — business.
Dollar signs where his eyes should be, Hayek’s ability to manipulate and subjugate his listeners was astonishing but expected for the most part. Perhaps it was the way he presented himself that made people take him more seriously, or even the way he spoke with such mysticism and soft power. Such behavior does not come as a surprise from citizens who have no clue as to where their future, both as a nation and as individuals, is headed. Many studies have addressed the relationship between increased mistrust in authority and paranormal belief. It is true that there are some people that believe Hayek has a third eye, a sixth sense, or a means of communication with a ‘greater power’.
Psychics are in high demand. On New Year’s Eve, Hayek was not the only one taking the stage. Media outlets are to blame, as they do not see the real damage it has on the Lebanese citizens. His predictions about tensions between Hezbollah and israel have stirred fear, especially due to the recent occurrences over the last few days (IDF drones constantly violating Lebanese airspace, the announcement made by a senior officer in israeli army’s regarding the resumption of clashes on the border with Lebanon, etc.).
Hayek’s popularity sparked recently, despite the fact that he has been making televised appearances for several years. In an interview in 2013, he said that “35% of Lebanese politicians resort to fortune-telling”, as they base their actions on whatever predictions he presents them with. This could also be true for big businessmen (surely not limited to Lebanese), who might want to know where to place their investments, the future of the stock market, or whether or not they should make business deals.
How does this pose a danger on a psychological level?
The fact that Lebanese individuals are slowly surrendering themselves to whatever “fate” Hayek seems to present them with is a very alarming issue. They are not to blame, however. The incompetent government has consequently led to a nation-wide mistrust in the government, and an active lookout for more trustworthy sources. The future of an individual in Lebanon is hard to tell. The events of August 4th made it quite clear: expect the unexpected – that is what Lebanese people fear the most. Once an individual has completely lost their guarantee to safety, unrest and absolute chaos is bound to reach its capacity, leading to a much harsher fate.
Less analytical thinking, more subjugation, but how is this remotely possible? How are people slowly losing their ability to think analytically and seek solid evidence? Is it because of the traumatic events of the past year that Lebanese people were given no other choice but to resort to “paranormal” phenomena?
The Barnum Effect: Here’s how it all started
A very common method is a psychological phenomenon called the Barnum effect. Read the description below:
You hold a great deal of potential which you have not yet put to use.
This is a description that is so vague and general that it could be applied to any person who reads it. When reading this, an individual may believe that they resonate with the description far more than anyone else – basically the same way horoscopes work. However, people sometimes fail to realize that this information can easily be applied to anyone. The effect is named after Phineas Taylor Barnum, a master psychological manipulator.
Predictions made by psychics are often equally vague and general. It is very common for them to predict horrible events and celebrity deaths; this has been done for many years and is still going on just as deceivingly today.
Sure, these things are sometimes entertaining. Remember the “psychic” octopus that used to predict who won the World Cup every year?
In Lebanese culture, there are many aspects that fall within this category.
For example, an owl appearing in your neighborhood means someone is about to die. Seeing a little girl in a dream means good luck, while seeing a little boy is a bad omen. Rubbing the buttons on your shirt after seeing a black goat is supposed to erase the bad luck it may cause you. Coffee reading is still a very common practice, and surprisingly, many people still rely on it to know the nature of their future endeavors.
These small and seemingly harmless superstitions are what make up Michel Hayek’s profession, and they are the reason he is where he is today – paid presumably millions to make an appearance on television for one night a year on New Year’s Eve, to tell big businessmen whether or not they should make investments, and to serve the elite class individuals whose professions rely heavily on luck, strategy, and lots of money.
Now, the science behind fortune-telling depends on the Barnum effect, for the most part. These methods have been studied, debunked, and exposed to be either lucky, false, or cleverly made predictions. The dangers they pose to citizens is largely underestimated.
As previously mentioned, taking advantage of Lebanese people’s lack of comfort and security in order to shift their trust from authority to the equally irresponsible, manipulative, and false world of psychic predictions has indirectly made people victims of subjugation. They are placed in an endless loop of trickery and deceit equivalent to that imposed by the government. Michel Hayek’s interests surely do not lie in providing people with the “truth”, but his name holds a high monetary value, and any word that comes out of his mouth is treated as a commodity.
In addition, burdening the Lebanese population with more bad news after a year of continuous tragedy is not exactly a bright idea. Lebanese people’s mental health is barely treading above water and loading them more negativity only weighs them down below the surface. Even if people were to claim they did not believe Michel Hayek’s predictions, there will always be a looming shadow that will possibly make them reconsider his credibility.
The threat of a war, the pandemic, the cabinet yet to be formed, the revolution rendered futile, the port explosion, the decline of all existing sectors, the Lebanese currency losing its value completely within the span of months – what purpose do Michel Hayek’s predictions serve to the wellbeing of the community? The despair that has clung so forcibly onto the Lebanese nation and people has caused an absolute obstruction of happiness, security, or solitude.
Lebanese people will remain stuck in this toxic loop, awaiting Michel Hayek’s predictions every New Year’s Eve to know whether their (inevitable) doom is well underway or not, whether the medical and pharmaceutical sector (which are already collapsing) will completely collapse or not, whether an 85-year-old (physically unwell and practically ineffective) president’s death is near or not.