Conspiracy Theories and Cognitive Dissonance

The term “Conspiracy theorist” was first used by the CIA in 1967 in the wake of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 as a pejorative term to describe anybody who openly challenged the official narrative of the Kennedy shooting.

“Cognitive dissonance” is a term used in psychology to describe the discomfort experienced when a person holds two conflicting beliefs, as in the inability to accept the evidence of their own experience and perception if it conflicts with their other deeply engrained beliefs.

The official narrative of the World Trade Centre events of September 2001 has been questioned by many people for many different reasons. Architects, engineers, scientists and lawyers have refused to accept the official version of what happened on that day. The web site 9/11Truth.org summarises the inconsistencies in the official account.

The analysis of the events of 9/11 done by Dr Judy Wood stands up for me as the most convincing explanation of what happened and how the towers "collapsed".

In view of the overwhelming evidence that the official version of the events of 9/11 does not stack up, why do so many people refuse to accept, or even consider,  alternative views to explain what happened?

Answer: Cognitive dissonance.  Many people simply cannot believe that the US government would lie to them about something of such enormity. “Surely they wouldn’t/couldn’t do a thing like that?”

But let’s not forget the words of Joseph Goebbels,” If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

Be on the lookout for people who dismiss others as “conspiracy theorists”. It has become a fashionable way to try and ridicule and demonise researchers who think critically about world events and the way the media and other commentators portray them, and who then take the time and trouble to check the facts for themselves. And who then say to others, “Don’t take my word for it; do your own research”.

So for anyone who is still undecided about the whole "conspiracy theory" narrative, why not try this:  When you see or hear something connected to the "coronavirus pandemic" (or anything else, for that matter) described as a conspiracy theory, take a moment to research it for yourself and decide what you think the truth is.