The Cognitive Dissonance of Donald Trump

I'm writing this to illustrate the cognitive dissonance of Mr. Donald Trump... And his followers. I'll use just three recent examples, but there are MANY more.

1. Naughty or Nice? Firstly, Trump says he's been "nice" to Hillary so far in this campaign and he's now whining that after all the attacks he suffered at the DNC convention, the "gloves are coming off" and there will be "no more Mr. Nice guy" as far as Hillary is concerned... WHAT??? Let me ask... When WAS he Mr. Nice Guy to Hillary??? He came out of the gate throwing insults and he thinks he's been "nice"? What the...?

Trump: "I've Been Nice - I Don't Have to be so Nice Anymore. I'm Taking the Gloves Off - No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Watching the video at the above link, we learn that what REALLY bothered Trump about the DNC convention is not that people insulted him, but that it was televised all over the world for everyone to hear. He talks about the "good old days" when, if soldiers had something to say, they would write it down, put it in an envelope and send it by courier... Not announce it over the wires where everyone could hear it! He doesn't want everyone to hear what a dick he is.

But I do.

Trump followers scramble to post videos and stories of the few times he's been nice to people, and to be fair, I have seen him be nice on occasion, but to think that those few photo ops somehow 'trump' all the insults and attacks he's thrown at so many people and groups, just shows what a HUGE blind spot his followers have when assessing the character of the man.

2. Khan doesn't have the right to speak? After Khizr Khan's speech at the DNC convention, Trump claimed that Khan had "no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution"...

Khan has No Right

How ironic and dissonant is it, when talking about his knowledge of the US Constitution, to claim that a person doesn't have a first amendment right???

Not to mention that Trump then went after Khan's wife!

“If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me. But plenty of people have written that She was extremely quiet. And looked like she had nothing to say. A lot of people have said that,” Trump said..

Source

Trump, of course, takes a jab at Islam, assuming that the wife wasn't "allowed" to speak, when the truth is that she was simply too overwhelmed with grief to speak. And, Trump makes sure to include the Bandwagon Fallacy to bolster his suspicions... claiming that because others have written or said something, it must be true. Can we apply this to the things written and said about Trump? Hey, Donald! Lots of people have written that you're racist. Plenty of people have said that you're a womanizer! Must be true.

What a loser.

Trump doesn't think others have the same rights as he does... Because... he doesn't attack people, right? He's never attacked Muslims, Seventh-day Adventist, POWs, Mexicans, women, the disabled, blacks, reporters, judges, Iowans, and ANYONE who doesn't kiss his ass... He's always so "nice" to them. But if they have anything to say in response? They have "no right"!

Trump is an ATTACK MACHINE! It's part of his "charm", according to his followers. They just LOVE that he's not politically correct and isn't afraid to say what's on his mind! Yay! Yet, in his mind, people don't have the same right to not be politically correct. They're just not being "nice"...

“I was viciously attacked by Mr. Khan at the Democratic Convention. Am I not allowed to respond?” the Republican nominee for president asked in a tweet.

Source
TrumpTweet - I was viciously attacked!

"Mr. Khan, who does not know me, viciously attacked me from the stage of the DNC and is now all over T.V. doing the same - Nice!"

There's that work "Nice" again... He expects others to be Nice to him, because, in his twisted mind, he's Nice to people! :rolleyes:

Cognitive Dissonance, anyone?

Trump has publicly "viciously attacked" other people since his announcement to run for the presidency, but when someone attacks him, he cries "That's NOT NICE!!!! They have NO RIGHT!!!" Doesn't he know that "political correctness" is another way of saying "nice"? He prides himself on being politically incorrect (insulting and rude), but when the tables are turned, he cries like a baby!

3. Putin Who?

Trump seems to be confused as to whether or not he has a relationship with Vladimir Putin. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, when he wanted to name-drop, they're pretty good buddies, but when he's asked in an interview about having a relationship with Putin, he acts like he's never heard of the guy! LOL! And he doesn't even know what "having a relationship" means...

Donald Trump is now saying that he's never met or talked on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the past Trump said he spoke 'indirectly and directly' with the Russian leader during a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow.
He also talked about being Putin's 'stablemate' on 60 Minutes - even though their interviews were filmed in different cities.
Now, amid reports that Russians may have hacked the DNC, Trump says 'I don't know what it means by "having a relationship".

Trump Claims Relationship with Putin Three Times, Then Denies It

Why anyone believes anything this man has to say is far beyond my comprehension. Khan is right - Trump has no moral compass or empathy, but he also has no compunction about changing his story (lying) to suit the talking points of the day... And he gets furious when people bring up his inconsistencies and talk about them on TV! He's just treated so unfairly!

So I take it that you're not voting for Trump?

I will counter with Hillary Clinton. There is enough here to bury the b!tch.

I would vote for Negan over her.

Who cares about "words" and "feels".

Find another hero.

Enough said.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

I fear for our first Amendment if Trump is elected President. This guy has literally attacked every precept of it. The press, religion, and now with this attack against this father, speech.

What's weird is that many of his supporters are second Amendment supporters, and most of their rhetoric involves saying that the 2nd is meant to protect against the government taking other rights. Yet here they are celebrating Trump making a mockery of the 1st.

I don't know that anyone believes Trump about everything at this point. He has lied, about that I have no doubt. The big question will be is Trump more believable than Hillary. She has problems in the credibility dept. Its not an avenue I would pursue were I promoting her but hey each to his own.

Very well done Benev........

Although I fear it will fall on def ears, and really at this point im not sure if its not too late.......

Ive been sounding the horn on this guy for over a year now and you just cant get through to people, no matter the facts, the logic or the blatant, in your face examples you give them.

People are brainwashed by this guy. Its the same syndrome that people were so pissed about with Obama, only now its coming from the right.

I didnt fall for it from Obama and I didnt fall for it from Trump, I just wish people would think more critically and see this guy for who he is.

Like I said in another thread though, We deserve this.......as a country.....

We have treated this election cycle and the position of president like a game show, reality television, with so much apathy that people no longer understand the consequences.....

I hope we get Trump, And I hope it hurts us, I hope it hurts us so damn bad that it finally shakes people awake.

Some times you just need an asswhoopin to put your head on straight.......and thats what we as a country need at this point sadly.

a reply to: Bobaganoosh

Funny how the only way Trump supporters can defend him when his monumental shortcomings are pointed out is to switch the topic to Hillary Clinton. That is a demonstration of his followers' cognitive dissonance.

originally posted by: Bobaganoosh
I will counter with Hillary Clinton. There is enough here to bury the b!tch.

I would vote for Negan over her.

Who cares about "words" and "feels".

Find another hero.

Enough said.

This is exactly what I expected to read as a retort. Calling Hillary a "b!tch"

Shocker that its just name calling now.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Yup. Cant disagree... nor am I surprised by the feet Trump continues to insert into his own mouth. But in the comparison of cognitive dissonance between the two major candidates, I think most can easily see that Clinton trumps Trump by a huge margin. It isn't even close. If Trump wins the presidency, it will be more because she lost than that he won.

originally posted by: shooterbrody
I don't know that anyone believes Trump about everything at this point. He has lied, about that I have no doubt. The big question will be is Trump more believable than Hillary. She has problems in the credibility dept. Its not an avenue I would pursue were I promoting her but hey each to his own.

At least Hillary doesn't promise to break amendments to her supporters' faces. At least she can talk to people like an adult. At least she take criticism without throwing a bitch fit on Twitter.

They both have #ty credibility, but Trump has #ty everything else too.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Now, people have a problem that Trump was being honest towards Hillary? What? Pointing out her mistakes and showing that she is indeed above the law is a bad thing???

I can't recall when did Trump insulted Hillary on a personal level.

Lock her up. I guess that makes me a monster

PS. This is nothing compared to Hillary's biography! NOTHING

He is a narcasistic megalomaniac with the emotional maturity of an 11 year old, oh an a-hole too. People should be considering 3rd party, might not do much this time but it takes a spark to start a fire..make a stand, do not accept what either D's or R's have presented you.

originally posted by: Nikola014
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Now, people have a problem that Trump was being honest towards Hillary? What? Pointing out her mistakes and showing that she is indeed above the law is a bad thing???

I can't recall when did Trump insulted Hillary on a personal level.

Lock her up. I guess that makes me a monster

PS. This is nothing compared to Hillary's biography! NOTHING

Im going to take you up on this. Give me 5 minutes,


ETA: It took me 25 seconds. First link is a list of insults

List of Trump isnults ( and that was written a year ago)


This one is just for hillary Insults

a reply to: Krazysh0t

A mockery? Whatever.

The constitution is great and all, but what of law? What of duty? What of transparency?

She has broken the law, she has delegated her duties to nameless, faceless, entities. She is transparent though. She can't hide a damn thing. She can't secure an email, she can't control a network, and she can't even begin to make me believe that she is the right choice because of her "experience". Granted she's been in politics for a very long time, but she has continued to fail throughout her career.

She's qualified because of time and vagina. Whoopty sh!t.

I'd vote for a cat video over her just based off of historical data.

a reply to: Nikola014

Crooked Hillary isn't an insult in your book?

Calling her crooked Hillary is nice, compared to what he really should be calling her.

You are completely correct, BH.

Not only have you highlighted Trump's hypocrisy and the cognitive dissonance of many of his supporters, you have shown us why he is not ready to lead a nation and represent us on the international level.

Trump does not have the temperament to engage the rest of the world. He does not have a diplomatic bone in his body.

originally posted by: Bobaganoosh
a reply to: Krazysh0t

A mockery? Whatever.

The constitution is great and all, but what of law? What of duty? What of transparency?

She has broken the law, she has delegated her duties to nameless, faceless, entities. She is transparent though. She can't hide a damn thing. She can't secure an email, she can't control a network, and she can't even begin to make me believe that she is the right choice because of her "experience". Granted she's been in politics for a very long time, but she has continued to fail throughout her career.

PROVE IT Until you do, I'm not listening to you here.

She's qualified because of time and vagina. Whoopty sh!t.

You see. THIS is insulting. This is the kind of thing the OP is talking about.

I'd vote for a cat video over her just based off of historical data.

Or apparently a thin skinned, orange, and pathological liar.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

What?

Calling her dishonest is an insult?

Do you need a safe space from the truth? I hear she's providing it to all sensitive souls...

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
Calling her crooked Hillary is nice, compared to what he really should be calling her.

This is proving the OP's point.