Insight from a Psychotherapist: Variations of Dissonance
Here’s a new one: What do a college educated woman, a middle-aged white man, and a massage therapist all have in common?
Cognitive Dissonance!
You thought there was a joke in there? Joke’s on them. All three are Anti-Vaxxers and they’re going to be gasping (for air!) when they get sick with the COVID-19 virus.
Cognitive Dissonance is the psychological term used to describe the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People prefer consistency so this conflict causes feelings of discomfort.
A belief that Bill Gates is designing technology that will track us via the administration of a vaccine is a paranoid delusion. I think most people get that on some level, and yet, our middle-aged man (in this scenario), believes this to be true. He believes Joe Biden isn’t a ‘legitimate President.’ He also takes great pride in his military service and is looking forward to collecting his Social Security benefits in a few years.
The professional woman likes to relax on Facebook. She loves posting photos of her cat in bow ties, connecting with her college sorority sisters, and trying to sell her skin-care to them. A couple of friends shared their concerns about the vaccine, as many of them are trying to get pregnant (before its too late!) some have even stopped taking their birth control pills.
‘Experts’ in the medical community are ‘very concerned’ about the effects of this ‘unknown’ vaccine on fertility — someone heard it can give you blood clots!! A few of them started sharing information through Direct Message, as a couple of the gals had pushed back in the comments section. If they had only watched the YouTube videos she’d posted they’d be more concerned.
The massage therapist is a beautiful soul. They put lavender oil on everything “its a miracle cure!” Vegan, organic, cruelty-free and free-range. A yogini and a healer (if you ask their clients). Echinacea and immunity shots are all they need to get through winter. If it weren’t for their ‘conventional’ parents they would never have chosen to be vaccinated as a child but ‘traditional education indoctrinates us all.’
Their superior immune system doesn’t require pharmaceuticals to heal itself, besides, they secretly want to get the virus so their body can develop its natural antibodies. Also, it makes for a great story to tell their clients when they are advocating nutritional supplements that they promote on their Instagram.
Facts are not feelings. Therapists and AA sponsors love to say that. When facts are no longer ‘facts’; when one person’s facts are formed from well produced opinions, or loosely strung together theories, or justifications and explanations to assuage our cognitive dissonance, then you have chaos.
You have *as I turn off the news and write on the internet to feel better about myself* whatever *gestures wildly* this is.
I blame Russia.
