Reply #58: Not even close.

[JTFrog]

"Inconsistency among related beliefs . . .produces motivation to do whatever is easiest in order to regain cognitive consistency or consonance among beliefs."

A seminal example of the effect of cognitive dissonance, and in fact an episode that inspired exploration of the theory, revolved around an observation study of the members of a cult who believed that the earth was going to be destroyed by a flood. The observation particularly focused on the effect of this belief on the members of the cult, especially the extremely dedicated ones who had given up their entire worldly possessions to follow their belief, when the flood failed to materialize. A rational person would expect that the members would recognize the fallacy of their belief, and indeed it was found that the "fringe" members of the cult dealt with the failure of prophecy by essentially "chalking it up to experience." However, the committed members of the cult were much more likely to rationalize and re-interpret events in the context of their belief, for example by believing it was the faithfulness of the cult members which spared the earth from flood.

One can easily extend these observations to the present-day situation in this country, where we find ourselves facing a stark dichotomy between reason and faith. A large majority of Bush supporters support him because they believe that his faith is the same as their faith. Further, a majority of Americans desperately want to believe in the rightness of their government to lead and protect them. When faced with information that directly negates these needs and beliefs, Bush supporters have no choice but to follow a path of least resistance in re-interpreting the new information to fit their world view. To do otherwise would invite a deep questioning of core values upon which they depend in order to manage their lives in a frightening and ever-changing world. Indeed, if that path were followed to its extreme end, they could well end up as Existentialists, concluding that there is no point in life but to die and neither faith nor reason matter.