Cognitive Dissonance Defines Balloon Boy Dilemma

Republican fiction comparing Healthcare Reform to Nazism ignores that nations around the world offer universal healthcare to their people. The tyranny of propaganda is as deceitful as Falcon‘s parents whose lies are damaging their child’s mental wellbeing.

Courtesy: dailymail.co.uk

(PASO ROBLES, Calif.) - Cognitive; relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. Dissonance; lack of consistency or compatibility between actions or beliefs.

Cognitive dissonance is a state of psychological conflict or anxiety resulting from a contradiction between a person's simultaneously held beliefs or attitudes that do not fit or are inappropriate to logical context.

Mental incongruity is the cause of dissonance in individuals the effect of which is harmful. Often the last person to realize the cause of his malaise is the one suffering from its effects, the severity and incidence of which vary.

They depend, to one extent or another, on one’s commitment to or accommodation to life-situations. Illness is one mechanism of avoidance and escape common to many. Unable to escape his situation, Falcon [the balloon boy] when questioned on TV with his family, avoided having to lie when he vomited. His was not an act performed on cue, but a statement in favor of truth. Tyranny of any sort makes it awkward for humans both young and old to defend truth when caught on the horns of misguided givens. The consequence, as Falcon demonstrated, can be upsetting.

Republican fiction being broadcast to suggest Healthcare Reform is the equal of Nazism ignores that nations around the world offer universal healthcare to their people. The tyranny of propaganda is as deceitful as Falcon‘s parents whose lies are damaging their child’s mental wellbeing.

Cognitive dissonance is dangerous, but can be overcome by honorable and logical conduct in the best interests of all, but too often a condition suitable to politicians.

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Kenneth G. Ramey was a 79-year old "writer without a Website" who is generating excellent, provocative articles on the subject of religion and world affairs. We are pleased that Ken's "lone wolf" presence as a writer in the world has been replaced by a spot on our team of writers at Salem-News.com. Raised in Minnesota and California during the dark years of the Great American Depression, Ken is well suited to talk about the powerful forces in the world that give all of us hope and tragedy and everything in between. You can write to Ken at: darken1@sbcglobal.net

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Ken: Very insightful of you to pick up on Falcon's throwing up instead of telling a lie. This is the kind of thing that only a child could not, not being fully socialized into the adult ways of handling such conflicts. Well done.

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