Cognitive Dissonance -- It Sucks

[_Dr. Shades]

The Holy Ghost confirms truth. He doesn't confirm error.

What about all the times the Holy Ghost confirmed the truth of Paul H. Dunn's stories?

[_why me]

I would also have to write that the words miscog dis is a postmodern concept acquistioned by post and exmormons to make them feel better about leaving the church. It gives some sort of explanation about why they feel the way they do. It gives them a sort of validation and explanation about why members also stay in the church.

The word has been abused by exmos.

Cognitive dissonance is what happens when two versions of reality collide. In other words, your beliefs about one thing conflict with your beliefs about another thing. Despite your apparent disdain for us exmormons, that is exactly what we ran up against. Two conflicting things cannot be true, so we must decide which one is right, or we experience a great deal of psychic pain.

I find your attitude rather disheartening. Rather than attempting to understand what we think and why we feel the way we do, you see us as disingenuous and nonspecifically "bad" people who have to justify the beliefs we don't really believe way down deep.

In what way does dismissing the experiences and feelings of other people validate your faith in the church?

I can understand what and how exmos think but I cannot understand the hyper use of the word. My gosh, this word is the favorite catch word of post and exmos. They use and abuse it. It can sort of give them victim's status. I know of no other instance where groups of people use such a word.

When it comes to god, I suppose that this word can be used by all who believed and now don't believe. Likewise for excatholics, exmethodists etc. But I don't see them using such a word. Only exmos seem to swim in the word and actually enjoy it.

[_why me]

The word has been abused by exmos.

If that's what you need to believe...go for it!

As I have just stated I see this word used by no one else but exmormons and by your friends on the postmo board. I know that the word sounds good and academic and perhaps give an explanation for current belief patterns but I have also heard it to describe Mormons.

The word is overplayed on exmo and postmo boards.

[_Blixa]

I know of no other instance where groups of people use such a word.

Well I guess you need to get out more, then. Or read a book. Or actually read runtu's reply to your first assertion.

[_why me]

I would also have to write that the words miscog dis is a postmodern concept acquistioned by post and exmormons to make them feel better about leaving the church. It gives some sort of explanation about why they feel the way they do. It gives them a sort of validation and explanation about why members also stay in the church.

The word has been abused by exmos.

There's a new movie coming out:

The Boy in the Mormon Bubble starring Why Me.

I don't consider myself living in a bubble. But this word is used so much that I do think that it needs to be retired.

[_why me]

I know of no other instance where groups of people use such a word.

Well I guess you need to get out more, then. Or read a book. Or actually read runtu's reply to your first assertion.

I don't see anywhere that he mentions other groups that use the word. But he did give a good definition. I only saying that the word is used too much by exmos. Who started using that word first? Was it Bob McCue? I think so.

[_Some Schmo]

I don't consider myself living in a bubble. But this word is used so much that I do think that it needs to be retired.

Clichés can certainly be abused, but clichés only get to be clichés if they capture a universal truth.

I think the phrase is a bit tired too, but can you think of a better way to describe the phenomenon of Mormon belief in the face of so much counterevidence? Words like denial, obstinacy, compartmentalization, and idiocy all come to mind, but I think cog dis captures it best, and apparently, so do many others.

[_Ren]

I've just done a google search on 'Cognitive dissonance'.

I've been looking through the first 6 pages thus far.
..I haven't seen one reference to Mormonism.
And I'm pretty sure there are more references to politics than there are to religion. (At least thus far...)

Yeap - I think it's pretty safe to say that there are plenty of people other than ex-Mormons using the term fairly regularly...

[_Pokatator]

I think "burning in the bosom" is a trite and over used phrase used by the Mormon community and is not used by any other group.

check

[_Ren]

I think "burning in the bosom" is a trite and over used phrase used by the Mormon community and is not used by any other group.

check

Yeah. They've also got this phrase: "Same Gender Attraction" they like to throw around too.
Most people just say 'Homosexuality'. *shrug*