How the Brain Regulates a Public Official's Communication Style
On Monday afternoon, 14 September 2026, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa was still seated in his role as Minister of Finance, leading a joint meeting with the DPD RI, Bappenas, and Bank Indonesia at the DPD Building, Senayan, to discuss the 2027 State Budget Draft and the Financial Note. In the middle of his presentation, the meeting chair suddenly interrupted: there was a phone call Purbaya needed to check. The meeting was briefly adjourned.
Purbaya took the call, saying briefly, “Yes, get ready. I am still at the DPD, Sir,” then bowed several times before leaving the building. He later confirmed that the caller was State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi. By that evening, the public learned that the position of Finance Minister had changed from Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa to Suahasil Nazara.
What caused this moment to spread widely was not just who ascended and who fell, but the manner in which it happened: a minister being informed of his own dismissal via telephone, in the midst of a state meeting (a point noted by public perception, including harsh comments from Professor Jimly Asshiddiqie). Some observers highlighted this as a portrait of how even major news can sometimes arrive in a very brief and impersonal manner within circles of power.
Interestingly, during his tenure, Purbable was known for a communication style far from formal—blunt, often openly commenting on other ministries, and even criticised by various parties because his pattern of speech was seen as creating openings for those who dislike the government. Ironically, in his final moments as minister, he demonstrated a highly controlled reaction: he did not interrupt the meeting dramatically, nor did he throw harsh statements at the waiting journalists; he simply bowed politely and left.
These two phases—a speaking style that has frequently “exploded” openly over the past year, versus a personal crisis handled with composure—serve as a good illustration for a larger question: where does a public official’s communication style actually originate? Is it purely character, or is there a brain mechanism that determines when someone erupts and when they restrain themselves?
The Prefrontal Cortex: The Hard-Working “Brake”
The part of the brain most active when an official speaks in public is the prefrontal cortex—the area at the front of the brain responsible for executive functions: filtering words, weighing consequences, and inhibiting the impulse to respond spontaneously. This is the “brake” that makes an official pause for a fraction of a second before answering a sensitive question.
This is not new in neuroscience; the role of the prefrontal cortex in emotion regulation and social decision-making is well-established in literature. What is more interesting to discuss is that the capacity of this “brake” is not constant. It weakens during fatigue, under time pressure, or when facing questions that attack perceived threats—such as reputation, position, or personal security.
The Amygdala and Changing Speech Patterns Under Pressure
This explains why officials who appear calm on a daily basis can suddenly sound defensive or even counter-attack when cornered. The amygdala—the brain’s threat detection centre—can “hijack” some control when an individual feels cornered, making responses faster but less filtered by the prefrontal cortex. The popular term for this is “amygdala hijack,” a concept long circulating in popular psychology, though the exact neurobiological mechanisms are still being researched and should not be understood as a single, definitive explanation for every public emotional outburst.
Press conferences that corner an official, intense media scrutiny, or a barrage of accusatory questions—all of these are conditions that theoretically increase the load on this threat detection system. The result, as we see, is a “communication blunder”: uncontrolled sentences, a rising tone, or an awkward silence.
Reading the Room, Not Just Speaking
There is also another dimension: the ability to read social situations and adjust one’s speaking style to the audience. Some officials are able to speak differently in front of factory workers compared to an international forum, without losing the authenticity of their message. This capacity involves brain networks that support social cognition—the ability to understand the perspectives and emotional states of others.
It must be emphasised here: the popular claim that such empathetic ability is “controlled by mirror neurons” is often exaggerated in popular media. Mirror neuron systems do exist and are studied in the context of imitating movements and understanding the actions of others, but linking them directly to a “leader’s ability to empathise” is a simplification not fully supported by strong scientific evidence. It is safer to say that the ability to read a social space involves complex brain networks, and the variation between individuals is indeed real, regardless of the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Not Fate, But a Trainable Habit
The most important point to convey to the public, and to officials themselves, is that these brain response patterns are not something fixed and unchangeable. The human brain possesses neuroplasticity—the ability to form new patterns through repetition and conscious practice. An official who consistently practices pausing before answering, practices self-calming techniques before appearing in public, or is guided by a good communications coach, is essentially training the “muscle” of self-control in their prefrontal cortex.
This also means: a poor communication style in an official is not an excuse to be simply forgiven as “just their character,” but it is also not a permanent label that cannot change. There is room for improvement—as long as there is will and consistent practice, rather than mere instructions from a PR team to “be more careful with words.”