Cognitive Dissonance: Introduction. Imagine you're the member of a doomsday cult.

[Pale Blue Dot]

Poll question: Cognitive Dissonance: Introduction. Imagine you're the member of a doomsday cult.

This cult has specifically predicted that the world is going to end on April 14, 2008 at 11:59PM. You have been so entranced by the leader of this cult that you have sold all of your possessions and moved into his or her house. You and about 30 others are in the house right now awaiting the end of the world. There are other cult members who also believe in the prophecy but have not moved into the house or sold their possession. You are one of the hard core believers.

Tonight at midnight, the deadline passes and it becomes obvious that the leader's prediction will not come true. What is your most likely reaction, according to research?







Note: This is the first in a series of posts I plan to write this week exploring cognitive dissonance, a scientific theory that I think explains much of what is going on in GD:P and the world. I'll keep this poll kicked for 24 hours, and then follow up with Part 1 tomorrow.

[Ian David]

1. Traditionally, the cult leader will try to rationalize this to their followers by saying:

A) My calculations were wrong. Now that I take another look at it, the REAL end of the world will be about 20 years from now.

Or

B) The world DID end! What you're seeing now is an illusion!

Or

C) It's a miracle! Because we were so awesomely good and holy and prayed so hard, we have been spared!

Or

D) Here, put on these running suits, lie down in bed, and drink this kool-aid.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Hallelujah! n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

2. How come I can't vote for "watch Tom Cruise's next movie"? n/t

[scheming daemons]

4. Um.... why is this in GD: P? Or are you again pushing the tired meme that enthusiastic....

...supporters of Obama and/or Clinton are "cult members"?


Give it up. It is insulting to refer to anybody who is excited about a candidate, no matter who the candidate is, as a "cultist".


And if this is NOT the point of your post.... then it doesn't belong in GD: P.

[Pale Blue Dot]

5. I will explain more tomorrow.

This does belong in GD:P, as I feel the cognitive dissonance explains a lot of the anger in here.

[scheming daemons]

6. Cognitive Dissonance is holding two opposite views at the same time.....

...and it is usually prevalent among Republicans.

;-)

[Pale Blue Dot]

7. Although your definition is not quite accurate,

the theory DOES explain the Bush administration. :D

[crispini]

According to research? I'd love a link,

hope you are planning to post one. :D

[Pale Blue Dot]

10. I will.

:D

[Neshanic]

8. He's obviously going to use this as comparison to Hillary supporters and irrationality.

When it is the Obama gang that are the lemmings careening towards the cliff, and dragging all of us with them.

[Pale Blue Dot]

9. My posts, I promise, will not be candidate specific. nt

[Deep13]

19. I'll mark this as Exhibit A.

:eyes:

[redqueen]

11. Anti-cult crusade for me.

[LeftishBrit]

12. Interesting topic (even for those not directly involved in the primaries) - kick!

[BlooInBloo]

13. Americans never admit they were wrong. It's part of their idiocy.

[depakid]

27. A better description would be "exceptionalism"

[blogslut]

14. Been through this one already

Dobbs said:

"Don't kill yourself...yet"

[semillama]

21. Right on!

I'm sure that cocktail napkin really said 8661, not 1998...

[blogslut]

29. See you at the Rupture

;)

[Pale Blue Dot]

15. Kick nt

[TZ]

16. kick!

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. There's plenty of cognitive dissonance on parade.

Hillary is not a democrat, she's like the republicans!
... and if you disagree with me and the rest of us new democrats, then you're not a democrat either. You're either with us or your against us.

Hillary's health care plan is horrible because it is mandatory!
... I like Obama's because it's universal AND optional, but what we really need is single payer, which would be paid for by everyone by a mandatory tax.

By calling rural folks bitter, what Obama meant to say was that they're being victimized by forces outside their control. He didn't mean to sound elitist.
... but I don't expect those ignorant rednecks in flyover country to understand the difference.

[Pale Blue Dot]

18. Cognitive dissonance exists in all human beings, regardless of candidate selection.

More on that tomorrow.

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. Certainly true, but the nearly complete domination of DU by Obama Supporters...

... makes this flavor harder to miss.

[JackORoses]

23. Do you know why DU is dominated by Obama?

Because most decent Democrats realize that Hillary is a Liar and a Traitor.

It's not Rocket Science.

[lumberjack_jeff]

24. And most decent *people* eventually learn to not be assholes.

Just sayin.

[JackORoses]

25. I will return to my normal non-assholish self the instant Hillary makes her exit.

Until then, I am in the trenches.

She will receive no quarter from me.

[lumberjack_jeff]

26. The Hillary supporters whom your candidate is counting on are recieving no quarter either. n/t

[JackORoses]

28. Real Democrats will vote Democratic in the Fall

The Hillarites I encounter here are not going to switch to Obama during this Primary Season.
They are dead-enders who are unwilling to sacrifice their own desires for the good of the Party.

Hillary has become a shameful parody of a true Democrat.
At this point, continued support her is equivalent to supporting McCain.

Do you want a War with Iran?
an Economic Depression?
a Right-wing Takeover of the Supreme Court?

If not,
then you must swallow your pride and start supporting Obama in his effort to defeat McCain.

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. More of the "you're either with us or against us".

I'm with Hillary for the duration of the primary and the (D) nominee in the general. If that is not enough for you, it is not I who have the problem.

The good of the party is served by serving the good of the people. Hillary has better policy (especially health care), better progressive credentials as they pertain to selecting good judges and better understanding of what is required of a commander in chief (not deferring to the generals) than Obama.

The fact that she hasn't called me an ignorant gun-toting bible thumping bigot, is just icing on the cake.

Both are several orders of magnitude better than McCain.

[JackORoses]

33. you're either a Loser or a Winner. Hillary is a Sore Loser.

You want to be a Winner, don't ya?

[KoKo]

39. A great example of Cognitive Dissonance if ever there was one!

:eyes:

[Crunchy Frog]

20. I'll take number one. That's pretty much how I react to setbacks anyway.

:)

[Danger Mouse]

31. If I were THAT deeply entrenched in any sort of cult mindset...

my most likely reactions to this situation would be either to believe it only more strongly, or become enraged and lash out.

[kwenu]

32. Where is you hit the ignore button for an irrelevant thread as an option? Oh, I see it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

34. "It was GMT, wasn't it?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hJQ18S6aag

[Pale Blue Dot]

35. One last kick.

See you tomorrow!

[Caution]

36. So where is the rest of the info promised?!? n/t

[Pale Blue Dot]

37. Right here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5513668

Posted this morning.

[MissMarple]

38. Hellewwww.....Finnfan are you out there?

:popcorn:

on edit. Nevermind. :)

[Marie26]

40. Probably

pretend it was a mistake & the doomsday is actually April 11, 2018. Because you'd be way too invested by that point, financially, spiritually, mentally, to admit that the cult is wrong. Isn't that what the Jehovah's Witnesses did?

[Orsino]

41. By the time they let you in on the Xenu secret...

...you're so well indoctrinated that new data are not capable of shaking your faith.

In the doomsday cult, the leader will continue the indoctrination right up until the prophesied moment of Armageddon, and then persuade you that the New Age of Whatever is upon you, that the world really was transformed as he said.