Cognitive Dissonance & The Shakespeare-X Message
Here's why the Shakespeare-X Message is trouble for everyone. Especially me. It's why most shocked academic scholars would rather argue than listen. Even to a conclusive proof.
Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Dissonance is also reduced by justifying, blaming, and denying. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology
In a state of dissonance, people may feel surprise, dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment.
People are biased to think of their choices as correct, despite contrary evidence. This bias gives dissonance theory its predictive power, shedding light on otherwise puzzling irrational and destructive behavior.
Cognitive dissonance does not arise because people experience dissonance between conflicting cognitions. Instead it occurs when people see their actions as conflicting with their normally positive view of themselves.
The Belief Disconfirmation Paradigm
Dissonance is aroused when people are confronted with information that is inconsistent with their beliefs.
If the dissonance is not reduced by changing one's belief, the dissonance can result in misperception or rejection or refutation of the information, seeking support from others who share the beliefs, and attempting to persuade others to restore consonance.
Thus when academic experts base their self-conception on their irrefutable expertise, they cannot allow or accept the failure of that expertise. They simply must always be correct. Ouch.
In Conclusion:
This is why I'm moving to a very quiet island with no internet. I have things to do other than to provide therapy for people in deep denial.
Well, actually I made this web site for their therapy. It was a lot of work. I think that's enough don't you?
