[FairMaiden]

Everyone knows that ppl see what they want to see - I don't need psychology to tell me that. Belief is comes from our experiences, our experiences are filtered by our perceptions and our perceptions come from what we believe. This has been taught by every prophet the world has seen...but the scientific world must prove it to themselves, hence "CogD".

The businessman will not admit PO bc he understands that there is a level of faith in consumerism. Consumers must feel comfortable and safe in order to keep racking those credit cards up. Any hint of possible recession could change the wind from mass consumption to conservation. Conservation is bad for business.

What we are discussing on this website pulls the suburban rug out from every family's lifestyle. We are striking at the very heart of their culture. Do you really expect them to welcome the news with open arms?

[Revi]

We have put a lot of effort into getting ready for peak oil. A friend told me about hydrinos. If it works there is no energy crisis. I couldn't believe that it was true. It would mess up my strategy. Even if it is true, I'm not going to believe it. Then it will go away. That's better....

[donshan]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BILL_THA_PHARMACIZT', 'h')ere is a question...

are people that gravitate towards excuses ( the hummer dealer in your analogy) making the excuse because if they admitted or entertained the thoughts that the worse case scenerio might be true they feel they would have to do something about it...

or is it that they simply don't give a shit and try and voice there indifference in a socially acceptable way without just syaing " It's beyond my control - so I don't care"

[malcomatic_51]

"To be able to respect two opposing viewpoints is the mark of the first class mind"

- Ernest Hemingway.

Nothing in this world is guaranteed; anything can happen. CogD is a major hazard. It produces a very large amount of very bad science in certain subjects. Get into Injury Prevention if you want to see an example of intelligent people being stupid.

Personally, I do have financial commitments towards Peak Oil, but I am not devoted to it. I am too conscious that predictions can be based on the most wonderful evidence and still turn out to be wrong. Look at Peak Horse Shit in London in the 1880s. It never happened, because bicycles and motor cars came along, yet the logic of it was impeccable. Likewise Peak Whale Oil.

Peak Oil does look like a good prospect at the moment. What could stop it happening? We don't know at the moment, so keep your eyes and ears open for the Great New Invention that will allow us to bypass depletion and progress to the future. If you are one of the first to hear about it, then you will be best able to reconfigure your life and finances to the new situation.

The only cure for CogD is to accept that however certain something appears to be, there are events dear boy, and it may never happen. Never get too attached to any given theory. Be flexible.

Will there be Peak Cycling? You never know.... !

[jaydenari]

Hmm. Interesting.

There is no "cure" for CogD; we just have to recognize it in ourselves so that we see its influence in how we decide. If we do, we're less likely to trap ourselves than if we don't.

kochevnik wrote:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 's')ome people are literally unable to 'get' PO because they are psychologically, intellectually, and genetically incapable of it.

[Revi]

I think I had PTSD after living in Central America in the 80's. One of my friends was killed, and all sorts of stuff was going on. The place was so different from the US that I was haunted by it until I went back to see it. What I learned is that places can be completely different and changed by war. We don't want that here, but there are things happening here that are somewhat similar to what went on in the 70's and 80's in Central America. Maybe my experience allows me to see it. The CogD comes in because most others can't see it.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'W')e don't want that here, but there are things happening here that are somewhat similar to what went on in the 70's and 80's in Central America.

[Revi]

We have an unelected prez, like a coup. We have the gov't defending torture and spying on it's own citizens. It's not nearly as bad as Central America yet, but it's a lot worse than it was.

[dinvinci]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('malcomatic_51', 'C')ogD is a major hazard. It produces a very large amount of very bad science in certain subjects. Get into Injury Prevention if you want to see an example of intelligent people being stupid.

[SoothSayer]

What hacks me off is when smug gits use the phrase "Cognitive Dissonance" as a weapon to win arguments.

"You are showing typical signs of being a victim of Cognitive Dissonance when you say that"


This tends to annoy me so I am often obliged to switch to a more subtle form of expression.

[BigTex]

It's an excellent point that PO adherents are just as subject to CogD as those who deny PO. What people need is an OPEN MIND. Sounds stupid, I know. In the U.S., it is trendy to say that liberals are more closed minded than conservatives because they are so convinced of their open mindedness about everything, except when you disagree with them. Blah blah blah.

I have found that if you simply strive to respect the point of view of people you disagree with you are less apt to be trapped by CogD. Thus, I don't argue with people about whether PO is real or impending--I just tell them my understanding of the issue and let them try to talk me out of it. This approach has led me to understand the potential of ultracapacitors, biodiesel (which COULD be a good source of energy) and some other interesting ideas about energy.

CogD is in many cases, I think, aggravated by a person's arrogance about their own worldview.

[MonteQuest]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('donshan', 'A')s I read the books, literature, and posts here on Peak Oil, I am struck by the sharp ( and sometimes angry ) differences between viewpoints of people discussing the same facts. I see cognitive dissonance in action here.

[Revi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('montequest', ' ') It is difficult, if almost impossible (even in scientific discussions) for people of one paradigm to communicate with those who perceive and reason in terms dictated by another different paradigm. We all need to be on the same page and we are not.