the cognitive dissidents

I've taken to checking a new blog recently, The Big Picture, and this morning's offering was a home run, referring to those who refuse to acknowledge any facts that do not coincide with their beliefs:

I have a new name for these folks: They are Cognitive Dissidents. They will continue to dissent from reality for as long as it takes to get everyone else to believe as they do, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary.

If you engage with a Cognitive Dissident, it is futile to try to use facts or data, for theirs is a belief based upon Faith. You cannot convince a person of a fact if it conflicts with their deeply held, nearly religious convictions.

Thus, when confronted with someone who has a fervent belief based not on evidence or reason or data or logic, do not waste your time convincing them the earth is not flat; their cognitive facilities simply will not allow them to recognize the world is round. 

A farmer — or was it Robert Heinlein? — once passed along this slice of wisdom; I repeat it now for your benefit: Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

Read the rest here.

I love this.

And I'm getting better at doing this. I've stopped arguing with people who ignore facts and make bad decisions whether these are bad investment choices, lifestyle choices or political choices.

Life's too short. I don't even let the fact that most of my friends are theists bother me anymore...

Live and let live, brah.

And Go Habs.

Comments

[Mike]

It pains me to have to be the one to point out the whole Cognitive Dissident - Habs correlation.

Go Habs.

[robert]

someone is looking for a banishment.