That’s our story and we’re sticking with it

~ How can people who seem perfectly sane believe seemingly crazy things? ~ Why will people shapeshift their personal morals to align with collective immoralities? ~ How can masses fall for conspiracy theories?

In Ties That Blind, Psychologist Alan Godwin addresses such questions by looking at the nature of collective deception. He tells two true stories—one of an individual who was deceived in a close, personal relationship and another of one who was swirled up in a collectively deceptive system. He contends that understanding the former helps explain the latter because the elements are essentially the same. He describes how these individuals were blinded by deception and how they ultimately broke the ties that had kept them blind.

This book is timely in an era of political polarization, institutional distrust, and misinformation, aligning with reader demand for thoughtful, narrative-rich analysis. It fuses accessible psychological theory with emotionally resonant stories.

As a professional storyteller, I was deeply intrigued by Alan Godwin’s Ties That Blind. His insights into the power of narratives—those that entangle us and those that set us free—resonated on both a personal and professional level. ~ Nancy French, New York Times Bestselling author of Ghosted: An American Story

Written with engaging prose and compelling illustrations, Alan Godwin gives non-specialists needed insight into the psychological processes affecting us all in these days of demagogic gaslighting and the misinformation economy. ~ Samuel L. Perry, author of The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy

Alan E. Godwin, Psy.D. has been a Licensed Psychologist in private practice in Nashville, Tennessee for 35 years. For 10 years, he traveled the United States where he presented continuing education courses for mental health professionals on subjects of emotional growth, conflict resolution and helping clients handle manipulative relationships.