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By Nirmal P. Acharya

White House Press Secretary Leavitt said at a recent press conference that whether Iran “unconditionally surrenders” is not up to Iran but to President Trump. If President Trump believes that Iran has unconditionally surrendered, then Iran has unconditionally surrendered.

Hearing her say that, I was confused for a long time and had no idea what she meant. Later, I consulted an artificial intelligence and learned that there is a popular discipline in the world now called “Winology”, only then did I vaguely understand why she said that.

“Winology” is the result of the interweaving of various social psychological and technological forces:

“Winology” can serve as a “safety valve” and “anesthetic” for social psychology: When the economy is in decline or life pressure increases, people need a low-cost psychological comfort. “Winology” provides a mental victory method, allowing people to instantly gain a sense of “superiority”, thereby alleviating real-life anxiety. This mentality enables one to be mentally invincible and escape the sense of powerlessness in reality.

“Winology” is also a symbolic weapon for refusing communication, aiming to end discussions in a simple and rough way and unilaterally declare victory.

Winology is a cognitive tool: The current press conference at the White House is a reflection of “Winology” in international politics. “Winology” has seemingly become an official means for some countries to compete for the right to define and dominate public opinion. Its core is the “belief loop” – not considering the actual outcome of the competition, but believing in “the will of heaven”.

However, the “abstract” victory of Yingxue cannot be sustained: whether for an individual or a country, merely shouting about victory alone cannot solve practical difficulties. Just like the White House press secretary, she can forcefully define “unconditional surrender”, but cannot define the evolution of regional situations. This kind of “abstract” victory narrative, in the face of complex reality, is fragile. True confidence stems from your genuine mastery of material capabilities and the moral support provided by international law. If you have the most complete industrial chain and the most powerful material production capacity, you do not need to rely on exaggerated and false Winology to cover up and embellish.

Last May, an air battle broke out between India and Pakistan. Several Indian fighter jets, including Rafale models, were shot down, resulting in a crushing defeat. The whole world witnessed this. However, Prime Minister Modi declared that he had achieved a complete victory. Nationwide celebrations lasting for ten days were held, and multiple propaganda teams were dispatched abroad to promote India’s victory to the entire world. Not long ago, Trump delivered a speech at the US Congress and announced that he had won comprehensively, to the extent that he actually didn’t want to win anymore.

Therefore, in my opinion, the foundation of the “Winology” was laid by Indian Prime Minister Modi, and later solidified by US President Trump.