Emotional Capture

Dr Peter Venkman: Ray has gone bye bye, Egon. What have you got left?
Dr Egon Spengler: Sorry, Venkman. I'm terrified beyond all capacity for rational thought.
--Ghostbusters

Emotional capture involves situations where people can be persuaded to support actions that they would not support otherwise because they are emotionally distraught. For example, an economic crisis might cause people to condone unilateral interventions in markets because people fear for their livelihoods.

A school shooting might drive some individuals to sanction laws that impair people's right to defend themselves with firearms.

Personally, I was emotionally captured following the 9/11 attacks to support war on other countries out of feelings of rage and revenge.

Policymakers understand the power of emotional capture. During the credit market meltdown, President Obama's former chief of staff famously uttered that "you never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is that it is an opportunity to do things you think that you could not do before."

The State is motivated to create situations that enable it to prey on people's emotions.