Healing the Political Divide, with Shea Layton

SMART Counsel

I can make you believe what I want you to believe by angrily telling you how you’re wrong. Right? Wait…that’s not how people change? In the midst of a very…interesting…couple of years of politics, societal shifts, crises, biases and very polarized opinions, Rhys Pasimio and Shea Layton got together one day to talk about how people come to believe what they believe. Turns out our beliefs and decisions are not quite as logical as we thought. Also turns out that when a person faces a perspective different from their core worldview, they experience Cognitive Dissonance, which can cause anxiety and defensiveness. And wouldn’t you know it, but people are more inclined to embrace cognitive dissonance(and the resulting cognitive complexity) when the person presenting the differing view is kind and empathetic. This episode of SMART Counsel features the following professionals: Rhys Pasimio – [e-mail] Shea Layton - https://thaddeusthought.com/ Please visit www.patreon.com/smartcounsel to learn how you can support the podcast. Thanks! The Master’s in Counseling program at Multnomah University and New Pattern Counseling present this podcast as a resource for aspiring and current professionals, as well as members of the greater community. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of Multnomah University or its faculty or New Pattern Counseling. Other fun highlights and quotes from today’s episode… “What’s really scary is that you will often find that knowing little makes it easier to fit everything you know into a coherent pattern.” Cognitive Dissonance is when a person risks believing two contradictory things at a time. When a person becomes comfortable with what they believe, their research is more about seeking affirmation then asking if there is truth in any other view. When we want to believe something, we ask CAN I believe it? THEN we look for supporting evidence. In contrast, without evidence, we ask MUST we believe it, and dismiss it as soon as we can. “Familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth.” The brain tags familiar things as good things(using dopamine!!) “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices,” William James All responsibility and no compassion produces broken and unhealthy people. But all compassion and no responsibility creates a different kind of dysfunction. “Being against evil does not make one good.” Ernest Hemmingway You can’t let the way a truth is abused cause you to turn from truth.. All that has happened then is you’ve accepted coercion into a lie.” - Shea “Brainwashing begins where permission to question ends.” – Shea We believe based on intuition, then analyze things to find evidence to confirm our intuition. Thus, science bows to bias. A dog wags the tail out of happiness…you can’t make a dog happy by wagging, and you can’t change people’s minds by refuting their arguments. “When people like you, the relationship keeps them from fearing your views nearly as much.” - Shea