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It is emotionally difficult to back out of decisions. Many doomsday cults find their fanatics get even more enthusiastic after the predictions are false.
by mathattack 13y ago
It is emotionally difficult to back out of decisions. Many doomsday cults find their fanatics get even more enthusiastic after the predictions are false.
- rdtsc 13y agoGood point. Yeah sometimes the fiercest apologists are those that start seeing or having a little doubt, so they double down on the effort in hopes to explain it away, and that is not just for the others but for their own minds as well.
- malandrew 13y agoSunk Costs Fallacy + Cognitive Dissonance = Stronger Belief What you describe goes beyond cults to popular religions as well. When you've sacrificed much of your life being good to get into heaven, the cognitive dissonance of new evidence that should shake your belief actually leads you to seek out new equivocations justifying the effort you've sunk into your faith.