Hey JT, welcome back.
Cognitive dissonance does not come from holding beliefs that conflict with reality; it comes from being aware of the conflict. My suspicion is that VenomFangX sincerely believes that the evidence is on his side, and does not suffer from cognitive dissonance at all.
But he is in dissonance -- that is why he
has to label evolution a lie to maintain his beliefs. He believes the evidence is on his side because he rejects all the other evidence as lies.
The nature of the most types of fundamentalist philosophy makes it difficult to see alternatives as anything but insane; if someone is a fundamentalist, almost by necessity that person will have an extremely high level of confidence. But this does not mean that fundamentalists have been brainwashed. They have simply heard arguments, weighed evidence and concluded that one side is dramatically more convincing than the other.
It's not simply hearing arguments from both sides and choosing to be a fundamentalist. It's more being bombarded by fundamentalist propaganda along with strong {religious\home\peer} pressure to succumb -- hence the authoritarianism reference and
link. Seeing as - in this case - it likely started at a young age and in a protected environment (VenomFangX was likely home-schooled or went to a creationist run school, I'd guess) it does indeed amount to brainwashing.
I don’t think this is an accurate characterization of most fundamentalists.
I agree that it doesn't apply to all fundamentalists, just those where authoritarianism\absolutism comes into the picture.
As an aside, interactions on this discussion board (some even with you!) have converted at least several fundamentalist creationist posters to some variety of evolutionist (myself included), and have likely done the same to many lurkers. I think that most fundamentalists are sufficiently open-minded and rational that they could work through the cognitive dissonance and change their mind if they thought they were in error.
I think those (few on record) that have converted were questioning types of individuals. It only takes one psychologist to change a lightbulb ... if the bulb wants to change.
Compare those that convert to Randman or Herepton: there are some that will never convert, imh(ysa)o, without some kind of intervention.
Thanks.
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