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Why do people vote the way they do?

September 19, 2016
Sheldon Solomon
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 .
 
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 and . A campus favorite for his engaging and dynamic speaking style, he was also featured in the award-winning documentary . 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:



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