How is it that we, intelligent and educated people, become vulnerable to manipulation during war

How is it that we-intelligent, educated people-become vulnerable to manipulation during wartime?

Manipulative content does not work because people are "naïve." It exploits natural features of our thinking - the very mechanisms, that help us respond quickly to danger. But in wartime, these evolutionary mechanisms can become points of vulnerability.

Hybrid war is not only about military operations; it also involves constant informational and psychological pressure. Its goal is to sow fear, distrust, and division, and to weaken support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To achieve this, actors use fake news, emotionally charged content, bots, manipulation, and targeted advertising.

Why does this work?

We live under chronic stress. Anxiety, exhaustion, and traumatic experiences reduce critical thinking.

Strong emotions - indignation, fear, anger, hopelessness, guilt, can "switch off" rational analysis.

Example: We see a post on social media that triggers intense indignation. "How dare they?!!!!" We pause and notice it: the emotion is a signal. The content may have been deliberately designed to provoke exactly this reaction.

We tend to believe information that confirms our existing fears.

First impressions from a fake often leave a stronger mark than later corrections.

Many people assume manipulation affects others, not themselves (no - it affects humans, and we are people, humans).

An information attack is not a secondary front; it is a distinct instrument of war.

Awareness of our own reactions is already part of defense. If a piece of information instantly triggers a strong emotion, that is a reason not to share it - but to verify it first.