The Greatest Cognitive Dissonance Trap of All Time

blog.dilbert.com

Here’s the set-up:

1. The mainstream media knows they are smarter than Donald Trump. They see evidence of this truth all the time, although much of that evidence is confirmation bias.

Then…

2. Trump does something smart – accusing Obama and Clinton of being “founders” of ISIS. This is a clever way to get the world to debate Clinton and Obama’s ineffectiveness during a time when ISIS expanded. In other words, it is brilliant media manipulation, and it worked.

3. CNN and other Clinton supporters interpret Trump’s statement about ISIS as absurd and uninformed because they can’t imagine a scenario in which Trump does something brilliant. Trump being brilliant isn’t one of the options, as far as they know.

The reality of Trump’s clever persuasion is crystal-clear to anyone who thinks Trump is smart. Trump was clearly joking about the “founder” part to get people squawking, and it worked. Total success. Brilliant technique.

Now the media has a big problem. They can’t admit that they were extraordinarily dumb in this situation and Trump was brilliant. That reality is invisible to them because it doesn’t fit their worldview.

So…cognitive dissonance happens.

This is a textbook set-up for cognitive dissonance. The facts we observe (Trump is smart, the media is gullible) is opposite of the media’s worldview in which they are smart and Trump is uninformed. So what do they do?

They act as if Trump is the dumb one in this situation. Because that fits their worldview.

And…they…fact-check his claim.

Meanwhile, the unhypnotized laugh themselves into a stupor watching this spectacle of cognitive dissonance. Humor aside, it is a marvelous and incredible thing to behold.

One of my smartest friends just emailed me to say he thinks Trump really believes that Obama and Clinton “founded” ISIS. My friend has a very high IQ and he’s well-informed. But cognitive dissonance isn’t influenced by intelligence. He believes whatever fits his worldview. Just like the rest of us.

The fun part is that we can see cognitive dissonance when it happens to others – such as with my friend, and CNN – but we can’t see it when it happens to us. So don’t get too smug about this. You’re probably next.

I think this story will end up in psychology textbooks. You rarely see such a clean example of cognitive dissonance in public.

Oh, and Trump hates babies, and he also wants a 2nd amendment supporter to assassinate his opponent. As long as the media is being dumbasses, they might as well fact-check that stuff too.

I have never been so entertained.

If Trump loses he will go down in history as a stupid buffoon, but if he wins he will be credited with one of the greatest tactical wins that defied all the odds in political history.

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

2. Trump does something smart – accusing Obama and Clinton of being “founders” of ISIS. This is a clever way to get the world to debate Clinton and Obama’s ineffectiveness during a time when ISIS expanded. In other words, it is brilliant media manipulation, and it worked.

The west is responsible for the growth of the insurgency in Iraq and Syria, not "Obama".

The expansion of the insurgency in Syria is a covert operation to topple the Syrian government.

All those airstrikes and still the caravans of white pickups in the open desert grew. The oil flowed from syria to turkey in even longer caravans of trucks and all the kings men and all the kings horses looked the other way.

The Russian air campaign decimated both in a few months.

a reply to: intrptr

Did you read the entire thread...

Cuz your reply screams NO!!!

Unless youre purposefully way off topic...

a reply to: intrptr


The west, lead by President Obama, is responsible for the growth of the insurgency in Iraq and Syria, not "Obama". 

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

I think the electorate is getting a very good education this cycle . All the myths are being revealed and what we will end up with at the end of the day will not fit into the definition of a free or fair democracy .

The FCC used to require radio and TV stations to provide equal time to political opponents, a standard that was jettisoned as Trump was given far more coverage than any others. We also discuss the future of Fox News after the scandal that exiled its brainchild, Roger Ailes, and how the Fox “virus” has infected its competitors. And we talk about billionaires who are promoting the idea of more capitalism and less democracy, a theme in McChesney’s latest book. Robert W. McChseney is professor of communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His most recent book, co-authored with John Nichols, is People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy.

He amazes me time and time again.

I think he may be doing this in order to pull off some of the best debate performances of all time. He is having them flesh out talking points for him. In trying to prove it was not Obama they start talking about how ISIS actually started. Now combine that with the leaked DoD doc.
In the debates he will cite them as his source and there will be no stopping the trumptrain.

He pushed them to the defense of their king and Queen and actually report some truth; truth that he will use in the future against him.
He checked with his pawn, and they laughed at such a weak attempt, they will not see his bishop coming in 3 turns.

a reply to: DanDanDat

No subtle nuances such as losing the word President from in front of those two grifters is why that poster is a gold content contributor.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Blue_Jay33

2. Trump does something smart – accusing Obama and Clinton of being “founders” of ISIS. This is a clever way to get the world to debate Clinton and Obama’s ineffectiveness during a time when ISIS expanded. In other words, it is brilliant media manipulation, and it worked.

The west is responsible for the growth of the insurgency in Iraq and Syria, not "Obama".

The expansion of the insurgency in Syria is a covert operation to topple the Syrian government.

All those airstrikes and still the caravans of white pickups in the open desert grew. The oil flowed from syria to turkey in even longer caravans of trucks and all the kings men and all the kings horses looked the other way.

The Russian air campaign decimated both in a few months.

But for the average Joe Q Public, "the West" is ably embodied in "Obama" for Trump's purposes just it was embodied in "Bush" for the left for the past how many years is it now?

I think turnabout is more than fair play.

Obama carried Bush's legacy of failure, in a way I almost feel was the point, not to change but keep things the way they are. Obama has used his power to trump the major factors that made me hate Bush. Obama and Hillary prove to be false Democrats. Same war mongering and abuse of power packaged up in an attempt to stress change.

This is all part of keeping the enemy alive and strong to justify our presence, no different than Vietnam. Effective wins spell less profit. This is not Obama but the plan. Pick sides and stay partisan if you like the demise of our country.

originally posted by: jellyrev
He amazes me time and time again.

I think he may be doing this in order to pull off some of the best debate performances of all time. He is having them flesh out talking points for him. In trying to prove it was not Obama they start talking about how ISIS actually started. Now combine that with the leaked DoD doc.
In the debates he will cite them as his source and there will be no stopping the trumptrain.

He pushed them to the defense of their king and Queen and actually report some truth; truth that he will use in the future against him.
He checked with his pawn, and they laughed at such a weak attempt, they will not see his bishop coming in 3 turns.

Yep!

Big ol blindside.

Let them build up their defences where they think he will hit.

Then pow, just like the Clay/Ali Phantom Punch against Sonny Liston.

That was in the 2nd fight.

So I'd say, he wins the 1st debate and knocks her out in the 2nd.

Yay boxing!!

lol.

Trump really doesn't get enough credit for how he is able to hold the MSM in the palm of his hands. Media manipulation is one of his best skills.

That said, just because someone is clever and knows how to manipulate the media, doesn't mean he would be a good president. I feel as President he would just continue to spend all his time trolling the media. He would never accomplish anything because he would always be spending time defending himself.

As Trump's ghostwriter says in the recent New Yorker www.newyorker.com... Donald has the attention span of a goldfish and he inhabits a very small tank, where all the other goldfish tell him how wonderful he is. This kind of inhibits any possibility that he may be 'brilliant'.

He gets most of his information from the Sunday and morning talk shows, the National Enquirer whose publisher is a friend of his, and Alex Jones. His brain is sound-bite sized. Trouble is, there's a mix of information there, good, bad and insane and he can't tell which is which. Neither is he prone to do the research required to dig down and figure out what actually happened with all the historical and foreign policy twists and turns that a real news junkie, and especially Hillary Clinton who has had dozens of years' access to the inner circle and security briefings, will bring to the podium on debate day.

He can tweet, insinuate, insult and accuse, but he has utterly NO detailed knowledge of the particulars. Asked a followup question, he reverts to repeating himself and then denies what he just said, or accuses the questioner of being mean to him. Then he gets sullen. A good moderator will bring him to his knees, much less an experienced debater.

In all but the barrooms of Amerika, this is not how to win a debate. I used to think that there were enough halfway intelligent people in the U.S. to be able to see through this scam, but now I'm not so sure. Everybody seems to think the nomination and election of the most powerful, and therefore the most dangerous, person on the planet is akin to a Wrestling match.

Yes, western interventions, greed and machinations led to the destabilization of the entire Middle East. It probably started with at least GHWB but I imagine the CIA was mucking with things far before that. Of course it hasn't helped in many of these countries, Afghanistan especially, that there's rare earth minerals and oil under the ground everyone wants a stab at. But Obama, for all his flaws, inherited the mess and then doubled down on at least some of it. I'll never forgive him for ordering drone murders of innocent civilians as well as American citizens who just happened to be related to so called 'terrorists' - and we have an alarming tendency to announce every kill as 'terrorists' without any proof being offered. Obama is undeniably guilty of war crimes and I'm fearful of what a compliant Joint Chiefs will allow a petulant Trump to order, and the instant Constitutional crisis if they refuse. Trouble is, it can take months to depose a duly elected tyrant, and that goes for Hillary also.

The West and especially the U.S. has a lot to answer for, and it would be real nifty and nice if all the flag wavers would realize that their eagerness to shout USA! USA! USA! tends to get their own kind killed with alarming regularity and 'dying for your country' doesn't really describe the situation if in reality, you're actually invading a sovereign nation to take down a duly elected, if maniacal, leader.

Kinda like Trump will be. THERE'S your cognitive dissonance.

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

This theory correlates with Trump's lesson "get the word out", about using sensationalism to your advantage

"One thing I've learned about the press is that they're always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better...The point is that if you are a little different, a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you."

And his underlying principles, "have fun".

Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.

He's playing the media, exposing them, getting free press, and is having a blast while doing it.

Textbook Art of the Deal.

originally posted by: six67seven
a reply to: intrptr

Did you read the entire thread...

Cuz your reply screams NO!!!

Unless you're purposefully way off topic...

I read it. Its screams that you're misled if you believe that ISIS is a creation of the West. Goes hand in hand wth the notion that the reason the US is dropping bombs in Syria is to help assad defeat the terrorists... requires a lot cognitive dissonance to believe that one, too.

originally posted by: DanDanDat
a reply to: intrptr


The west, lead by President Obama, is responsible for the growth of the insurgency in Iraq and Syria, not "Obama". 

The circus announcer doesn't run the circus.

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

if Trump wins there will be a revolution.... If Hillary wins, there will be martial law.

either way, everyone is f**ked

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Blue_Jay33

2. Trump does something smart – accusing Obama and Clinton of being “founders” of ISIS. This is a clever way to get the world to debate Clinton and Obama’s ineffectiveness during a time when ISIS expanded. In other words, it is brilliant media manipulation, and it worked.

The west is responsible for the growth of the insurgency in Iraq and Syria, not "Obama".

The expansion of the insurgency in Syria is a covert operation to topple the Syrian government.

All those airstrikes and still the caravans of white pickups in the open desert grew. The oil flowed from syria to turkey in even longer caravans of trucks and all the kings men and all the kings horses looked the other way.

The Russian air campaign decimated both in a few months.

But for the average Joe Q Public, "the West" is ably embodied in "Obama" for Trump's purposes just it was embodied in "Bush" for the left for the past how many years is it now?

I think turnabout is more than fair play.

Embodied in the 'presider' is the illusion of leadership. The real puppet masters are off stage.