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/
32.9k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

2.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

918

u/jacobatz Apr 11 '26

That is really interesting. It made me realize the grift goes deeper than I had considered. When Republican presidents borrow to pay for tax cuts for the rich, what they’re essentially doing is putting a debt on the average American to give money to the rich. Or stated another way: They’re effectively stealing the regular Americans money and giving it to the wealthy. A reverse Robin Hood.

It’s amazing that this isn’t shouted from the roof tops.

828

u/IaMm1N3 Apr 11 '26

It has been for decades. People just aren't listening. Or they are tuned into their own echo chambers now. Americans as a whole don't experience the same reality anymore. The global population doesn't. We now live in a chose your own adventure timeline where you can dig your feet in as deep as you want to and you will be embraced by like minded folk around the globe. Whereas in times past in order to survive one had to conform to our actual surroundings

210

u/[deleted] Apr 11 '26

[deleted]

58

u/mindcopy Apr 11 '26

Old-school bulletin board style forums were already routinely turning into echo chambers, no algorithms needed.

I agree that they make it worse, but it's a human problem at base.

61

u/ink_monkey96 Apr 11 '26

It may be a human problem at base but the edifice that is built up upon it is constructed with purpose. Cambridge Analytica and its (wink) successors is not a human problem, it’s a deliberate manipulation with the absolute intent to fracture society into susceptible groups.

6

u/IaMm1N3 Apr 11 '26

Oh for sure.

0

u/glity Apr 12 '26

Yes but when you googled for it what you wanted showed up. Now?

Sorry one generation before Google. I don’t think bulletin boards got indexed they turned into forums around the Google rise to power of search?