------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 25, 2009 - Goanet's 15th Anniversary
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goanet sees some endless discussion about some event in history or belief. Here
is an article by a medical writer in Newsweek that may provide answers /
explanation why some people believe in lies. A short relevant paragraph is
posted below. Readers are encouraged to read the entire article, the link to
which is provided.
Regards, GL
=============
Some people form and cling to false beliefs about health-care reform (or
Obama's citizenship) despite overwhelming evidence thanks to a mental
phenomenon called motivated reasoning, says sociologist Steven Hoffman,
visiting assistant professor at the University at Buffalo. "Rather than search
rationally for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular
belief," he says, "people actually seek out information that confirms what they
already believe." And God knows, in the Internet age there is no dearth of
sources to confirm even the most ludicrous claims (my favorite being that the
moon landings were faked). "For the most part," says Hoffman, "people
completely ignore contrary information" and are able to "develop elaborate
rationalizations based on faulty information."
http://www.newsweek.com/id/213625?from=rss
