OP: A solution to cognitive dissonance – addressing rather than disregarding issues

5 March 2019

Nicolas Nava

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    One of humankind’s greatest abilities is to observe and experience the unimaginable, then look away and forget it if the truth seems too tough to bear. This lack of attention, misinformation and plain ignorance can be anyone’s worst enemy, but there is a solution.

    When building a library of values, every individual should look into their beliefs, both small and large, and extensively analyze all relevant information before making any commitments.

    There are many cases for evidence of the complacency and disconcert our country has let slip through our fingers on topics that should have been addressed first hand.

    Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election despite having null background on public administration and an extensive dossier on polemic and controversial findings of his personality and history.

    The electorate saw an energetic and determined character, with fresh perspectives, and chose to ignore the extreme detriment that his candidacy carried and elected Trump as president.

    For more than 20 years, sexual abuse allegations were made against Michael Jackson, who was buried a decade ago with an epitaph that spelled “The King of Pop.”

    On March 3, HBO will be releasing the documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” focusing on the life experiences of Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both men allege that as young boys, they spent countless nights sharing a bed alone with “The King of Pop”. The stories come with graphic detail and disheartening allegations.

    The question is posed on whether fans are expected to move on and leave Michael Jackson buried, where he belongs, or look the other way and keep dancing to “Billy Jean.”

    An article from The Guardian suggests that the Inquisition may have taken as many as 300,000 lives, though some historians say that millions is a more accurate estimate.

    The Catholic Church led this crusade several hundred years ago in attempt to convert anyone who crossed their paths into followers.

    They also led a summit on clerical sexual abuse on Feb. 21, hosted in the Vatican by Pope Francis. The focus of this summit was to confront the increasing problem of sexual clergy predation on children.

    High critics suggest that among many, the Pope has long clung to the idea that recent sexual allegations of archbishops and priests alike have been fraudulent or a direct result of homosexuality as a condition.

    Now that the Catholic Church attempts to face this challenging predicament, will its diehard followers pay attention or look away?

     These phenomena parallel cognitive dissonance, in which individuals, fans and believers, choose to accept an entire system of values or beliefs while simultaneously avoiding the hard facts that could otherwise change their minds.

    Looking at all the details should be on everyone’s to do list, whether it regards simply listening to an artists music or selecting a candidate for presidency. Everyone should question what they hear, or the decisions they make, because this affects more people than just themselves.