Cognitive Dissonance - Kaos1973

cognitive dissonance
nounPSYCHOLOGY
the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioural decisions and attitude change.

Why do some people hold diametrically opposing opinions? How is it possible to so rationally inconsistent? How can someone believe that the media are completely untrustworthy and yet watch the news and shake their heads? How can we condemn politicians as crooks and yet continually vote for them to decide what we teach our children and manage our national treasury and our country without ripping us off?

We have evolved from hunting and gathering where if you didn't listen to the empirical evidence of your senses to hear, smell or see danger you died, and your genes did not continue. Therefore we have a very strong grounding in reason and evidence. And yet...

We have also the largest brain in the animal kingdom which equates to 3% of body mass but consumes 25% of body's energy, and this allows language, which in turn allows tools and communication, which allows collectivization. We have been so successful as a species because we work as a team, as a tribe, as a community.

Historically, if our ancestors questioned the popular beliefs of the leaders of the group they could find themselves outcast or dead, in either case genetic death for future offspring. So over our evolution we have finely developed a sense of towing the line. This is why when we hear someone questioning the wisdom of the tribe we feel real anxiety in the same manner as an immanent threat from animal predation.

Therefore we are able through necessity to hold rational beliefs and at the same time popular cultural ideas that fly in the face of reason and evidence.

History has shown us many, many times that standing up to the popular beliefs is very dangerous, and yet the rewards are staggering to the group.

The world was once thought flat. The Earth was once thought the center of the universe. Disease was once thought a punishment for evil doing.

What popular beliefs will turn out to be fictions imposed on us in order to maintain the power status quo?

For me, I think. Welfare, multiculturalism and ultimately the big governments that spawn such ideas.