"We tend to admire those who can admit mistakes, adapt to new information, and navigate setbacks with grace. On the other hand, we often feel frustrated by those who cling stubbornly to falsehoods or react defensively when confronted with opposing views."
Which is precisely why I do not admire those Unitarian Universalists, including most if not all top-level UUA leaders, who obstinately refuse to admit to very serious "mistakes", adapt to new information I provide to them proving them wrong, and navigate their own self-created "setbacks" with some semblance of grace.
It's incredible how these UUs cling stubbornly to misleading falsehoods, and even brazen bald-faced lies, they themselves have spouted, and react insanely defensively when confronted with my opposing views to their hypocritical and immoral BS and lies. . .
I think that this article is insightful at the level of the examples it gives. It also reminds me of an issue outside of its scope that physics has been dealing with, as this has been explained to me, a non-physicist.
There is compelling evidence for both the General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Each fits different levels of scale, but each is seen as incompatible with each other.
This incompatibility is treated as an indicator that there is more to learn. Rather than reject one and embrace the other dogmatically, ignore the dissonance, or give up the quest, efforts continue to understand far better than before, with some creative thinking that "breaks the frame" being offered but not yet widely accepted.
Sometimes, cognitive dissonance may indicate the limitations of our categories, our perceptions, or our thinking. It even may suggest a level of reality that both is beyond our grasp and draws us to extend our reach.
As one who is skeptical of reductionism, I find this notion rather appealing and think that it often applies to the complexities of human behavior and especially to interpersonal relationships.
Good points, and I agree with much of what you have to say, including about physics theories. Newton's theories are outdated but still work and are used in many real world situations.
Yes. They've pretty well worked out the Newton v Einstein thing. They're still working on the Einstein v Bohr et al thing. The "hologram" solution is provocative and raises lots of new questions.
"Sometimes, cognitive dissonance may indicate the limitations of our categories, our perceptions, or our thinking. It even may suggest a level of reality that both is beyond our grasp and draws us to extend our reach."
True, this is an important point. One made by Solomon Asch in regard to how disagreements can extend one’s horizon rather than constrict. By contrast Festinger conceived dissonance as a negative drive reduction emotional state (like hunger drive) whose reduction is reinforcing.
Two important aspect of cognitive dissonance theory which are largely ignored are: a) Perceptions that are inconsistent with one’s self concept or identity will be experienced particularly with strong dissonance. b) Individuals will largely resist changing their self-conceptions or identity to fit the perceptions triggering the dissonance.
So how will individuals deal with incoming dissonant perception? In these circumstances individuals will largely employ defense mechanisms to resolve the dissonance in order to preserve the self concept.
By way of example this is seen in the current Israeli/Palestinian progressives who consider themselves members of the "community of the good", and are confronted with the evil acts committed by HAMAS/Gazans on October 7.
Outright denial of the evil acts is one defense mechanism employed to reduce dissonance. Defensive projection is a second and more useful political way for ‘ progressives’; in which genocide is attributed not to Hamas but to Israel or Jews ("Jews are the new Nazis"); it is not therefore Hamas or Gazans who attempted genocide but it is Israel/Jews. This defensive projection may come in two forms: consciously (cognitive dissonance theory) or unconsciously (Freudian theory).
he was my uncle -in -law. Took me to 1st Broadway show in 1975
Cool
"We tend to admire those who can admit mistakes, adapt to new information, and navigate setbacks with grace. On the other hand, we often feel frustrated by those who cling stubbornly to falsehoods or react defensively when confronted with opposing views."
Which is precisely why I do not admire those Unitarian Universalists, including most if not all top-level UUA leaders, who obstinately refuse to admit to very serious "mistakes", adapt to new information I provide to them proving them wrong, and navigate their own self-created "setbacks" with some semblance of grace.
It's incredible how these UUs cling stubbornly to misleading falsehoods, and even brazen bald-faced lies, they themselves have spouted, and react insanely defensively when confronted with my opposing views to their hypocritical and immoral BS and lies. . .
I think that this article is insightful at the level of the examples it gives. It also reminds me of an issue outside of its scope that physics has been dealing with, as this has been explained to me, a non-physicist.
There is compelling evidence for both the General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Each fits different levels of scale, but each is seen as incompatible with each other.
This incompatibility is treated as an indicator that there is more to learn. Rather than reject one and embrace the other dogmatically, ignore the dissonance, or give up the quest, efforts continue to understand far better than before, with some creative thinking that "breaks the frame" being offered but not yet widely accepted.
Sometimes, cognitive dissonance may indicate the limitations of our categories, our perceptions, or our thinking. It even may suggest a level of reality that both is beyond our grasp and draws us to extend our reach.
As one who is skeptical of reductionism, I find this notion rather appealing and think that it often applies to the complexities of human behavior and especially to interpersonal relationships.
Good points, and I agree with much of what you have to say, including about physics theories. Newton's theories are outdated but still work and are used in many real world situations.
Yes. They've pretty well worked out the Newton v Einstein thing. They're still working on the Einstein v Bohr et al thing. The "hologram" solution is provocative and raises lots of new questions.
Mysteries remain.
"Sometimes, cognitive dissonance may indicate the limitations of our categories, our perceptions, or our thinking. It even may suggest a level of reality that both is beyond our grasp and draws us to extend our reach."
True, this is an important point. One made by Solomon Asch in regard to how disagreements can extend one’s horizon rather than constrict. By contrast Festinger conceived dissonance as a negative drive reduction emotional state (like hunger drive) whose reduction is reinforcing.
Thanks for building on the ideas.
Two important aspect of cognitive dissonance theory which are largely ignored are: a) Perceptions that are inconsistent with one’s self concept or identity will be experienced particularly with strong dissonance. b) Individuals will largely resist changing their self-conceptions or identity to fit the perceptions triggering the dissonance.
So how will individuals deal with incoming dissonant perception? In these circumstances individuals will largely employ defense mechanisms to resolve the dissonance in order to preserve the self concept.
By way of example this is seen in the current Israeli/Palestinian progressives who consider themselves members of the "community of the good", and are confronted with the evil acts committed by HAMAS/Gazans on October 7.
Outright denial of the evil acts is one defense mechanism employed to reduce dissonance. Defensive projection is a second and more useful political way for ‘ progressives’; in which genocide is attributed not to Hamas but to Israel or Jews ("Jews are the new Nazis"); it is not therefore Hamas or Gazans who attempted genocide but it is Israel/Jews. This defensive projection may come in two forms: consciously (cognitive dissonance theory) or unconsciously (Freudian theory).