Sunday, June 22, 2008
Cognitive Dissonance
Reviewing an interview I did with Tarso Luis Ramos in 2001, I came across a remark he made about progressive activist organizations being extremely reluctant to re-think and reconsider their fundamental strategic approach. This remark got me thinking about comments made by a reader this week in regard to liberals' inability to get their minds around a realistic estimate of the situation we find ourselves in politically.
Exploring this thought further, I think that most people are extremely reluctant to re-think their habitual opinions or to reconsider their fundamental world view, even when their world view repeatedly conflicts with social reality. This cognitive dissonance that persists no matter how often the pattern recurs, is what some have called reinforcing an opinion.
What I am suggesting is that this habit is sometimes subconscious, even hard-wired.
Exploring this thought further, I think that most people are extremely reluctant to re-think their habitual opinions or to reconsider their fundamental world view, even when their world view repeatedly conflicts with social reality. This cognitive dissonance that persists no matter how often the pattern recurs, is what some have called reinforcing an opinion.
What I am suggesting is that this habit is sometimes subconscious, even hard-wired.
