09/13/2024
The media and the internet is fueling cognitive dissonance in politics and that is the real "threat to our democracy."
What is cognitive dissonance? The first thing you have to establish in understanding this, is that it's rooted in a belief system. That belief system doesn't have to be a political party. I'll use myself as an example, in a non-political issue to explain.
Years ago, I was told va**ng is better for my health than smoking ci******es. Not only by the va**ng industry, I had a doctor tell me, he could not officially tell me it was healthier, but that it was what helped him quit smoking, and that it is, healthier than ci******es.
This created a belief system in me. Shortly after, campaigns popped up all over, against va**ng, fueled by the fact that many teenagers were picking up the habit. Reports of v**es blowing up in teenagers faces, and then getting "popcorn lung" kicked my own cognitive dissonance into gear. In the face of unpleasant truths, I began seeking comforting lies. Or, maybe it's comforting truths in the face of unpleasant lies? Either way, it works the same. We begin looking for comforting things instead of subjecting our selves to what we feel like is unpleasant.
Instead of changing my behavior, by quitting va**ng, I started looking for any data I could find that would back my belief system. That va**ng is healthier than ci******es. Why? Because that's a heckeva lot easier than quitting va**ng.
Some of the data I used to support my belief system:
-In Europe, health departments are handing out v**es to people in campaigns to encourage smoking cessation (a comforting truth)
-The cases of kids getting popcorn lung, are the results of them va**ng illegal things, that aren't intended to be vaporized (a comforting lie, it wasn't "just" illegal things)
-The kids that had their v**e blow up were using it irresponsibly (another comforting lie, I've had faulty v**es myself that didn't blow up, but we're clearly dangerous)
-The campaigns claiming va**ng is causing spikes in "teen smoking" are cherry picking their data from the start of when va**ng become mass produced. We seen declines in teen smoking up until about 2010, and then it increased again. But, if you go back further in data and compare va**ng to ci******es, the data indicates teen smoking is at the same levels it's generally always been. (comforting truth)
-Would you rather your teens be smoking ci******es? Knowing va**ng is a healthier alternative? (comforting lie, data indicates its healthier, but, we don't know, yet)
In hindsight I think those last two points were a big reach, definitely my cognitive dissonance in action. The goal, should be to reduce teen dependency on chemicals, period. Not maintain the levels of the ci******es era. Even if va**ng is "healthier" we shouldn't be happy with kids substituting it for ci******es. Chemical dependency is chemical dependency, and thats unhealthy, at the very least mentally unhealthy.
The truth is, the jury is likely still out on va**ng. Until we have a lifetime of data, we won't know if it's better than ci******es. We have data indicating that, but there's always unintended consequences somewhere we didn't see coming. How significant or insignificant that is, has yet to be determined. But, I know, personally, I don't want my kids va**ng, why risk it at all if you can avoid it?
Now, substitute my belief that va**ng is healthier than ci******es, with a political party. Choose either one, red or blue.
You, have a belief system that tells you one side is always right, and the other always wrong. When faced with unpleasant truths or lies, you began seeking comforting truths or lies on the internet. When you do this, you're met with millions of others creating a land of information to feed your comfort. They all confirm, that you're right, always right, and that the other side is wrong, always wrong. In fact, what you seek and find goes a step further, it tells you, your side is full of heroes and the other side? Full of villains, they are evil, they want to destroy your nation, and your belief system.
After you search the internet for comfort, you change the TV channel to the one that feeds you even more comfort. You get into your car and listen to more information feeding your belief system. And when you log back onto the internet the algorithm knows you well now, and begins sending you comforting things to click on, some are true some are lies. Before you know it, everything about your existence is fueled by this belief system. You have completely lost the ability the critically think and discern what is planted misinformation from factual information.
Here is the thing though, two things can be right at the same time.
It can be true va**ng is healthier than ci******es but unhealthy for teens. The two don't contradict each other, unless you are using one to try to justify the other.
And.... Nobody is ever right, all of the time. It might feel comforting to believe you're on the right side, all the time, but that doesn't make it true. And just because something is TRUE, doesn't mean it's RIGHT. Is it true 30 years ago, more teens were smoking ci******es than are va**ng today? Yes... But that doesn't mean we should be okay with teens va**ng.
And, where this gets really dangerous?
When intellectually vulnerable people, the same kind of people we all went to school with, that were slightly slower than the rest of us, or slightly angrier than others, when they get trapped inside these echo chambers, they, unfortunately become very dangerous individuals.
Did you know most assassination attempts come from mentally ill people? Often without a clear political motive available? For some people, it doesn't take much for them to believe one person is a villain, and they can be a hero for getting rid of them. This is why, dictators demand control over media. They understand they can manipulate the masses with it. And it is also why we should fight against regulation and oversight over free speech. This is a "threat to our democracy." I loathe the day one party swallows the other and begins to stomp all the independents in line with their belief system.
I will tell you education can go a long way. In my media studies, we were taught about propaganda, we were taught how to identify it, and the impact it can have on cognitive dissonance. It would be great if we taught kids about these things, at younger ages, like in High School before they enter the world as voters.
We should be equipping people with unbias minds and the ability to critically think and discern information as citizens. The only issue with that, is that we are now so divided I doubt we could ever agree to this, both parties are heavily invested in the status quo. And, it is so entrenched into our belief systems, we all plan to raise our children with the same system we grew up with.
What we need is two candidates from both major parties that agree to take this on. To stop making villains of the other side. To stop exaggerating their favorite issues to the extreme. To stop encouraging radicals with dog whistles. It's not that parties are the issue, we have always had them and we have critical thinkers among the ranks of both parties.
I'm an eternally optimistic person that believes independents still have the biggest voice in our nation. I believe in the wisdom of crowds, and that are nation generally makes the right decision for that moment in time. Sometimes I don't always agree with that decision, but I trust that both parties will adapt to hear the people, and not the other way around. Elections have consequences and sometimes the consequence is evolving in the right direction as a form of survival. So even though I see this issue play out time and time again everyday, I still have hope that we have enough critical thinkers amongst us that we can reach a healthier place as a nation.
The truth is, we haven't hit rock bottom, but we are close. At this point, there is only one way to go from here. Up. Any further down, and we are all in big trouble.
🙏
Dancer, Dad, Podcaster
