The Partisan Mind

For psychologists, it was sweet vindication since Bartels’ findings fit perfectly with cognitive dissonance theory — which holds that the stronger someone’s commitment to a belief is the greater the mental contortions he will undergo to protect that belief from contrary information. Ignore. Rationalize. Even turn upside down. The strongly committed person will do whatever it takes — and wind up saying something goofy as a result.

 

People really don't like this concept.  They prefer to think they are in complete control of their thoughts and actions.  Alas, evidence doesn't seem to point that way.

 

The brain is a storage, filter and executive command system; it has its own internal threat-assessment guide that you didn't consciously build - evolution and life experience have done that for you.  But, like every other part of your body, the mind can be harnessed and channeled:

 

Of course that isn’t inevitable. People can and do maintain a critical distance, examine their perceptions and beliefs, ask if they really make sense or not, and even overturn them when necessary. But that’s hard mental work under any circumstances. When commitment is extreme — as it is with any fierce partisan — it’s exhausting.

You just have to be conscious of how it operates, first.