“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are
presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new
evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is
extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it
is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize,
ignore and even deny anything that doesn’t fit in with the core belief.”
Yes, true! I read an article (I don’t remember if I posted it) a while back that was about how people with very strong beliefs, when they’re confronted with evidence to contrary actually STRENGTHENS their (wrong) beliefs. It seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? The two examples they gave in the article were politicians and people with strong religious beliefs.
I actually just saw this in action today, at a house bill hearing. We had a brilliant speaker on the issues, a professor who’s entire argument was based on fact and studies, and she actually refuted the only “study” that the other side had (it was all bad science, and the writer didn’t have any sort of degree or research-based education and the only place his “study” was published was in a paper or magazine that he co-owned!!). Anyways, there’s this one representative who is super against this bill, and he refused to believe anything she said, and actually, when he was passed a packet with her speech written out along with her fact and figures, he refused to take it!!
Anyway, my point is just that people really don’t like having their beliefs challenged, and really will go to great lengths to avoid cognitive dissonance.
