I became very sad and despondent this week while thinking about the state of our nation. It is not just a realization that our nation is highly divided. It is more a recognition that the truth no longer matters. People ignore information if it is not what they want to hear. We are no longer listening to science. Political pundits are undermining experts. Worst of all, though, is that we are too easily prone to hate and aggression due to political reasons.

Recently, it was revealed that activists were planning to kidnap Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and Virginia governor, Ralph Northam, because they were enforcing restrictions to prevent people from contracting COVID-19. Later, a man in Witchita, Kansas was arrested after threatening to kill the mayor over a mask mandate Think about that for a second. Multiple governors and a mayor threatened for trying to keep their constituents safe. What is going on in our country?

American citizens have picked sides and are more polarized than ever. It used to be that facts and information could cause someone to reconsider their positions. Now, it seems people will do whatever is necessary to maintain their beliefs, despite any contrasting evidence. Something has changed in the way Americans think. Objectivity is dying.

The psychological processes that allow this to happen are not new. Politics have just raised their visibility. Let’s take a look at the phenomena that are responsible for our present dilemma:

Cognitive Dissonance

Let’s say that you are a strict Catholic who does not support abortion. However, you want to vote for Joe Biden, who is also Catholic, but pro-choice. It probably makes you feel uncomfortable to vote for someone who does not hold the same beliefs about abortion. That is what we call cognitive dissonance. That uncomfortable feeling comes from acting or thinking in a way that does not agree with your values. So, what do you do when you experience cognitive dissonance? Usually, it comes down to assimilation and accommodation.

Assimilation Not Accommodation

If you ever took an introduction to psychology class you probably learned about the concepts of assimilation and accommodation. Piaget thought that these were integral to cognitive development. Assimilation is when you take new information and make it fit into your existing organizational structure or schema. Accommodation is when you adjust your schema to include new information that will not fit into your old perspective.

Currently, many Americans are exhibiting assimilation but not accommodation. They are receiving new information but they are not adjusting their schema because of it. Instead, they are trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

For example, say you do not believe in wearing masks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus because you live in a very Republican area and many Republicans are saying it is not necessary or effective. However, you then hear the CDC recommend wearing a mask to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and you have always trusted the CDC in the past. If you were exhibiting accommodation, you would absorb the CDC recommendation and consider changing your behavior by wearing a mask. However, because political beliefs are so polarized, and wearing a mask in your community is met with resistance, you may choose to just ignore or deny that information. As a result, accommodation is not occurring and schemas are not changing.

A lack of accommodation has serious implications. If we never adjust our views, nothing ever changes. There is no evolution of thought. So, how does the mind prevent accommodation and avoid cognitive dissonance? In a phrase: thinking errors.

Thinking Errors

Thinking errors, also known as cognitive distortions or defense mechanisms, are the way the mind makes excuses for your behavior. They usually serve a short-term protective psychological function and are often not a conscious process. The important part to remember is that they are errors in thinking. They are not realistic thoughts and will eventually lead to trouble, either emotional or behavioral. Some examples of thinking errors are rationalization, minimization, and denial.

Rationalization is when you attempt to justify your behavior by making excuses for it. For example, if you fail a test you might say that it was because it was too hard or you did not study for it, rather than accept responsibility for your grade. Minimization is when you try to lessen the impact of your actions. For instance, a teenager might say, “Yes, I stole from that store but it was only a soda.” Denial is when you convince yourself that something isn’t real. For example, you don’t practice social distancing because you believe coronavirus is a hoax being promoted by Democrats to bring down President Trump. Despite there being a lot of evidence for the reality of COVID-19, you deny the science behind it and say it is made up for political reasons.

Have you ever become frustrated with someone because they won’t listen to reason? They are likely using thinking errors. Thinking errors can be very powerful. You may end up performing behaviors that you regret due to cognitive distortions. In addition, they may allow people to avoid accommodating new information and dealing with cognitive dissonance. It is frequently not until someone else points them out that you see you are using a thinking error. In fact, one of the main goals of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is recognizing thinking errors and becoming more realistic in your thinking.

The Divided States of America

America is splitting apart. We are sticking to our political sides and refusing to change our worldview, even when the facts say otherwise. Failure to accommodate new information and utilizing thinking errors to justify behavior can only lead to trouble now and in the future. In the present, we remain stuck in our belief systems and are unwilling to compromise and accept differences, making the country more divisive. When you don’t embrace new ideas there is no progress. Where would be as a society if we had not allowed women to vote, African Americans to be free, or gay people to marry? In short, we would have remained mired in the past.

America, however, has always been about moving forward. We set the standard for the rest of the world. We must accept scientific and social evolution to advance our cause and maintain our greatness. Without objectivity and compromise, we risk slipping backward. We can always agree to disagree but we can’t allow our differences to swell to the point that we are too divided to come back together. The last time we did that? Ever heard of the civil war?