Mental Representations of Military Veterans: The Pictures (and Words) In Our Heads

Walter Lippmann’s (1922) famous tome on public opinion began with “The world outside and the pictures in our heads,” a chapter in which he discussed humanity’s dependence on mental images in the absence of direct experience, and the importance of words in conveying information about the unseen world. As Lippmann noted, the “pictures in our heads” are important because they inform public opinion, which for veterans could shape everything from veteran identity to their transition and reintegration into civilian society as the proportion of Americans who serve in the Armed Forces declines. Indeed, Lippmann (1922) equated mental images with public opinion: