Is Hatred of Scientists Becoming a Thing?

Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

Because, once upon a time, I was one of the founders of what is perhaps the largest science-based couples therapy practice in the world, I continue to appreciate many scientists and researchers as clients in my private practice.

Many have entered therapy to manage their social anxiety.

Why? So, it turns out that one of the emerging reasons is that some people just hate scientists.

Not just the kind of hate where you roll your eyes at some nerd in a lab coat, but the kind of hate that actually gets scientists harassed, threatened, and, in at least one case, nearly mobbed in Amsterdam.

Why? Because of science cynicism, which is just a fancy way of saying, "I don’t trust those guys because they seem smart and therefore must be up to something."

A recent study in Scientific Reports took a deep dive into this phenomenon and confirmed what I have long suspected: people with dark personality traits—narcissists, psychopaths, Machiavellians—are more likely to approve of harassing scientists.

They see science as a threat, like it’s some kind of shadowy cabal controlling their lives rather than, you know, the thing that made their smartphones and antibiotics possible.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists found themselves in the crosshairs. Virologists and epidemiologists were verbally attacked, doxxed, and, in some cases, physically assaulted.

One unlucky Dutch virologist barely escaped a mob. The question researchers wanted to answer was: What makes people hate scientists so much that they’d go full torch-and-pitchfork on them?

Turns out, the answer is a stew of science cynicism, conspiracy thinking, and a feeling that scientists are personally ruining their lives.

The Voodoo Doll Task

The research team, led by Vukašin Gligorić at the University of Amsterdam, ran two studies to pinpoint who exactly enjoys hating on scientists.

They recruited a diverse group of participants and had them fill out questionnaires measuring their trust in science, belief in conspiracies, political leanings, and feelings of personal grievance.

They also included a "Voodoo Doll Task," because what better way to measure aggression than to let people stab a tiny scientist doll with pins?

The results were telling.

People who believed scientists were corrupt and self-serving were much more likely to approve of harassing them.

Those who thought scientists threatened their cultural values, personal safety, or economic well-being were also primed for aggression.

And, of course, the dark triad personalities—those charming folks with narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies—were front and center in the anti-science brigade.

The Follow Up Study

In a follow-up study, researchers added a twist: they gave participants the option to donate to an organization protecting scientists or sign a petition against harassment.

People who scored high in science cynicism?

Yeah, they didn’t donate.

And they certainly didn’t sign any petitions.

But interestingly, while they were okay with harassment in theory, there was little evidence they’d actually go out and do it.

So, while Twitter mobs are real, the people sending death threats from their mom’s basement might not be storming any laboratories anytime soon.

Still, Gligorić and his team point out that this is a societal issue, not just a personal one.

Mistrust in science is growing, fueled by rising inequality, misinformation, and a neoliberal system that makes people feel powerless.

When people feel powerless, they lash out at perceived elites. And in a world where scientists have become stand-ins for "the elite," they become convenient punching bags.

Final Thoughts

But let’s not be too bleak. Most people in the study didn’t support harassing scientists.

The real issue is the vocal minority—those loud, angry cynics who see scientists as part of a grand scheme to control their lives.

Fixing this problem means rebuilding trust in science, addressing social inequalities, and finding better ways to communicate with the public before we end up in a dystopia where scientists have to wear disguises just to pick up their groceries.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Gligorić, V., Reinhardt, C., Nieuwenhuijzen, E., Orobio de Castro, J., Feddes, A. R., van Kleef, G. A., & Rutjens, B. T. (2024). The role of worldviews, radicalization risk factors, and personality in harassment of scientists. Scientific Reports.