Hypocrisy and Cognitive Dissonance

As I was writing this, news broke that Nancy Pelosi would finally start an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. Now, we're all hypocrites sometimes. It's a natural state for a human being to occupy based on how we evolved, in-group/out-group think, personal biases, and more. The difference is often merely one's ability to accept one is being hypocritical, and adjust one's thinking to reality. This is often tougher than it seems. Let's do an experiment.

If you support Trump, please try the following:

1. Read this statement - "Bernie Sanders asked the Ukraine to investigate Donald Trump to help his campaign for President."
2. Ask yourself if you think what Bernie did was wrong or unethical.
3. Read this statement - "Donald Trump asked the Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden to help his campaign for President."
4. Ask yourself if you think what Trump did was wrong or unethical.

If you came to the conclusion that when Sanders did it, it was wrong, but that when Trump did it, it was fine, you are a hypocrite. If an action is wrong when one party does it, it is still wrong if another party does it.

If you came to the conclusion that neither Sanders nor Trump did anything wrong, then you are either an unethical person, or don't actually believe in the Constitution or the Laws of the United States. Because soliciting the help of a foreign government to interfere in our electoral process is against the law.

If you came to the conclusion that both cases were wrong or unethical, congratulations you are ethically consistent, and able to look at the information presented in an unbiased manner.

Now, let's take it a step further. Here is a list of things that Donald Trump has done. These things are not under dispute. There is evidence for each of these items. Please do the same exercise with the following:

• Praised a Congressman for body-slamming a reporter.
• Lied about the size of the crowd at the inauguration.
• Threatened to take away security clearances from critics.
• Privately met with a foreign leader without a U.S. interpreter.
• Says he fell in love with the dictator of North Korea.
• Didn't visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veteran's Day because it was raining.
• Asked about nuking a hurricane.
• Called other countries "shithole countries".
• Claims he can pardon himself.
• Paid off a pornstar for an alleged affair when his wife was pregnant.
• "Suggested" military personnel and the Vice President stay at his properties when traveling. Many, many times.
• Said that white supremacists and neo-nazi's were "very fine people".
• Told duly elected congressional delegates to "go back to where they came from". 
• Called himself "the chosen one".
• Locked up children away from their families.
• Asked the Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden to help his re-election campaign.

This list is by no means complete. There is a ton more, but I didn't want this piece to get out of hand. So, put your least favorite politician's name into those items, and check if you think everything is still fine. If you're being honest with yourself, you don't actually think so. Again, if it's wrong for the person you were thinking of, then it was wrong for Trump to do so. Intellectual consistency is a pre-requisite for having productive conversations about politicians, the role of government, and almost anything else. So, why are people unable to do so?

Cognitive Dissonance

“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief.” - Frantz Fanon

Cognitive dissonance is the reason that you can have 97% of all climate scientists assert that human-based climate change is real, and yet have people deny it. It's how Evangelical Christians can support Trump despite his multiple divorces and affairs. It's how I can root for the Dallas Cowboys, but not like Jerry Jones.

The level of which congnitive dissonance does harm varies. My rooting for the Cowboys only really affects myself. I'm not making policies that benefit Jerry Jones because I am a Cowboys fan. However, if politicians are ignoring the agreed upon climate science, that has some very real, and very dangerous consequences for everyone on the planet.

There is a distinct lack of critical thinking skills today. The result is tribalism, the breakdown of communication, and unwillingness to put oneself in another's shoes. Empathy is lacking. It's how people are okay with children being put in cages. While most are contributing to this state of affairs at some level, Conservatives are playing it at another level entirely. And, before someone says "Obama put them in cages too", let me say that anyone who does that is wrong. Don't put kids in cages! That is my stance, regardless of who is doing it. That's being consistent.

What Can We Do?

Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm an evidence based person. As an agnostic atheist, and a skeptic, I am open to changing my position if presented with compelling evidence. Sadly, many are not able or willing to do so. Perhaps we need to explain things like climate change solutions in ways that align with their world view. Perhaps the left simply needs to win all the elections, change things, and let the right see how much better off they are? I'm certain it will take multiple approaches, and way too long. Here's hoping we don't burn the planet while trying to get people to recognize their hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance.