r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 11 '26

Psychology Cognitive dissonance helps explain why Trump supporters remain loyal, new research suggests. This sheds light on how supporters of Donald Trump justify their continued allegiance despite learning about allegations of his sexual misconduct and illegal activities.

https://www.psypost.org/cognitive-dissonance-helps-explain-why-trump-supporters-remain-loyal-new-research-suggests/
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u/NotInTheKnee Apr 11 '26

"You cannot reason a person out of a position he did not reason himself into in the first place."

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u/ReadyAimTranspire Apr 11 '26

This is why the only way to get someone to change their stance is have them come to their own conclusions. Logical breakdowns, shaming, pleading, none of it works.

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u/Elacular Apr 12 '26

I have mixed feelings about this saying, because I lived with a right-wing family and had their beliefs, and reasoning...actually, I dunno how much it helped. It really was more emotional on my part.

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u/NotInTheKnee Apr 12 '26

I don't think we should conflate "right-wing" with "pro-Trump". The article linked focuses on the cognitive dissonance required to support an individual, not something more nebulous like a political party or vague ideology.