New Theory Claims COVID-19 Lockdowns and Isolation Have Fueled Worldwide Rise in Racism and Extremism
Author and researcher Ard Falten has presented a provocative theory in his book, “Sex On the Wrong Brain,” as well as on the accompanying website and screenplay of the same name. The theory suggests that the recent increase in racism, misogyny, and anti-democratic extremism across the globe can be attributed to misplaced reproductive energy, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and isolation.
According to Falten, the advice given by health agencies in New York City and certain Australian states to use masturbation as a safe alternative during the pandemic was not specific enough. “When they suggested masturbation, they should have specified which hand to use,” says Falten.
The theory, known as Sex on the Wrong Brain (SOWB), posits that the hand used for sexual activities can have a significant impact on an individual’s thought patterns and behavior. Falten claims that using the right hand, which is connected to the left brain hemisphere, has contributed to thousands of years of greed, authoritarianism, patriarchy, and war, and has led to the current global crisis of climate change.
Falten argues that the COVID-19 pandemic was a “mass sex on the wrong brain event.” He believes that the social distancing measures and lockdowns implemented by governments around the world only served to fuel authoritarianism and repression of sex and women’s reproductive rights. “Whether it’s Texas or Russia, the Roman or British empires, Nazi Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, or the Taliban, the underlying purpose to repress sex and control women and reproductive rights is to increase frustration in the right handed men that authoritarian leaders need to serve them,” says Falten.
The SOWB theory proposes that using the right hand for sexual activities associates impatient satisfaction-demanding reproductive urges with left brain-dominant thinking, which should be patient and objective. This, in turn, leads to a push for quick and easy solutions, premature conclusions, and a desire for certainty. As the need for certainty increases, so does the stress and fear caused by sources of uncertainty.
The website for Sex on the Wrong Brain explains that authoritarianism is closely linked to a fear of uncertainty and is often measured by the Uncertainty Avoidance Index. The theory introduces the concept of Certainty Deficit Disorder (CDD), which is seen as a symptom of sex on the wrong brain and is believed to be the root cause of extreme and anti-democratic behavior used to reduce and control uncertainty and create a sense of certainty.
The dynamic between certainty and uncertainty is used to explain authoritarianism:
– As the need for certainty increases, so does the fear of sources of uncertainty, such as change, diversity, unpredictability, disorder, and nature.
– Authoritarian leaders are required to be certain, confident, decisive, and always right, qualities that followers equate with intelligence and strength.
– As chaos and uncertainty increase, so does the value of the certitude projected by authoritarian leaders and their symbols and organizations.
– Authoritarian leaders and ideologies create certainty through order and control, and by simplifying the world into binary absolutes, such as right and wrong and good and evil, which fuels intolerance, bigotry, and extremism.
– Complex problems and issues that generate uncertainty, such as global warming and immigration, are often oversimplified or ignored.
The website also suggests that associating sex with punishment and guilt helps authoritarians establish thought patterns that redirect reproductive energy to reward and justify the creation of a false sense of certainty. This can lead to deceit, denial, hypocrisy, and sexual dysfunction. Authoritarians also learn to prioritize certainty over truth.
The Sex on the Wrong Brain website covers a range of topics related to the theory, including how SOWB increases greed and sexual dysfunction, the factors that can affect SOWB levels (such as ancestry, gender, libido, frustration, culture, and religion), and why females generally have less SOWB than males. It also delves into the evolutionary implications and possibilities for research.
Falten believes that understanding the role of sex on the wrong brain in human thought and history could help to make artificial intelligence less dangerous. “Artificial intelligence can reflect human biases and overconfidence. While AIs don’t have hands and reproductive organs, their developers do,” says Falten. “Overconfident AIs can be dangerous, and that is why uncertainty quantification (UQ) plays an important role in AI decision-making and predictions.”
The book “Sex On the Wrong Brain” is available from major online book retailers, including Amazon. It has received positive reviews, with Simon Barrett stating, “Yes, I like ‘Sex On the Wrong Brain’ a lot. If you like Douglas Adams and don’t mind a few ‘smutty’ bits, you will enjoy this book.” The screenplay has also been selected as a finalist
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.