Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
What instrument is required for them to pierce the veil of 'Crazy BS.'
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Unfortunately, it's been known for a long time that piercing the veil is an incredibly difficult task.
The term "cognitive dissonance" has become almost overused these days, it was coined in 1954 in
When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group That Predicted the Destruction of the World which looked at what happened in an apocalyptic cult when the predicted end of the world did not arrive.
When a predicted flood did not occur: "Many of those with the highest levels of belief, commitment and social support became more committed to their beliefs, began to court publicity in a way they had not before, and developed various rationalizations for the absence of the flood."
Though there are valid criticisms of the specific work done in
When Prophecy Fails, the resulting ideas have been put to the test over and over again. One of the key elements necessary for someone to maintain their fervor in the face of obvious evidence to the contrary is
social support. Of course, today we have the internet, where you can find social support for
any group, idea, cause, thought, or theory you might have which means we're likely to see more and more people double down on ridiculous notions despite all evidence to the contrary.
I mean, just look how excited we get at the start of each hockey season despite this franchise kicking us in the mediocre balls for decades on end.
GO FLAMES GO!