Solomon was blunt about it: “Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1, World English Bible).
Avoiding the discomfort of cognitive dissonance shapes politics. Donald Trump is overwhelmingly supported by the people who voted for him in 2020 despite his encouraging an insurrection, being found liable for sexual abuse and civil fraud, threatening revenge against political opponents, and refusing to commit to accepting the result of the 2024 election. The greater the evidence of his misconduct, the stronger will be the need of his supporters to dismiss it.
Before Donald Trump’s New York conviction on 34 felonies, only 17% of Republicans said that a convicted felon should be allowed to be president. Immediately after the verdict, that portion rose to 58%.
“I am a good citizen. I wouldn’t vote for a true felon. But this case was just a political witch-hunt.”
Am I just lecturing Trump supporters to wake up and smell the coffee? Well, yes, but there is plenty of cognitive dissonance to go around. New York Times columnist David Brooks cites it for extremism on the left.
I remember the message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as hopeful and welcoming. He had a dream everyone could share: White and Black people could partner in creating an America that lived up to its beautiful ideals. All of God’s children, Black and white, could be free at last.
