Google defines Cognitive Dissonance as the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.
Many psychology websites define it as the resulting discomfort experienced when your beliefs don't match the reality of the world around you.
I see Cognitive Dissonance as a capability of the human mind that can be used for good or ill. In fact, the dirt merchants at the top of the pyramid absolutely rely on the human mind's ability to do this. It is why you can have a person who believes that all politicians are scumbags who would steal candy from a baby, but would never lie about the moon landing or why we're invading Iraq for the seventh time.
In order to weaponize Cognitive Dissonance for the good of the many, a clear distinction must be made between the two "matrix" definitions. When your beliefs don't match the reality of the world around you, this is a bad state of affairs. And your body will usually let you know with the "resulting discomfort." One should always try to align their beliefs and behavior with the reality of the world around them.
Looking both ways before you cross the street is an example of a behavior (looking both ways) based on a belief (I could be hit by a car) that is grounded in reality.
However, when the reality of a situation is indeterminable (like say, the existence of God or the ability of humans to create a Utopian society), Cognitive Dissonance can become a valuable tool in your belt.
For example, I firmly believe that I am better than the people around me. I can see the reality of the government's manipulation and lies, and I can courageously accept the reality of it. The people around me are far to underdeveloped to accept this reality, even when I put incontrovertible proof of it right in front of their face. I possess the ability to admit when I'm wrong and change my behavior and beliefs to match the reality of the world around me. They do not. This clearly makes me better.
However, I also firmly believe that I am no better than anyone else. We are all down here together, thoroughly victimized and traumatized by the dirt merchants on top. We are all trying to climb a mountain together, and because I have found an easy way up to the next ridgeline, doesn't make me better- it just makes me lucky. And I must try to point out the easy way up to as many of my brothers and sisters below as I possibly can.
Clearly contradictory beliefs. What is the truth of the matter? Indeterminable.
But the usefulness of being able to swap out these beliefs to suit the situation at hand is profound.
If I am at a party and I ask a dude if he's ever seen a UFO, and he starts laughing at me and calling me a nut job and conspiracy theorist in front of everybody- I can simply think "I am better than you," and smile quietly to myself. That shit-eating grin that says "I know something that you don't know." This offers me both protection from his ridicule, and the opportunity for anyone watching to come and find me later and ask me just what it is that I know and he doesn't.
Greg talks in interviews about "getting that tap on the shoulder," (when THC gets big enough to force some bottom-dwelling lizard dirt merchant to come slithering out of the pyramid's capstone and tap Greg on the shoulder to tell him to stop talking about certain topics or they'll kill him). Greg asserts his position repeatedly- "I ain't gonna be a martyr for this shit!"
My immediate response to this is "You fucking pussy! I CANNOT ABIDE A GENERAL WHO LEADS FROM THE REAR. What am I listening to this punk for??? Greg is the reason we can't have nice things. I wouldn't panzy away like that! I am better than him."
And then I say, "Hold on, wait a minute. Let's analyze this situation. Greg, and what he has built, is a huge positive in my life. Should I turn my back on him because he feels he can only take this fight so far? He's done -and continues to do- alotta good work in expanding people's minds and introducing them to vast amounts of knowledge they wouldn't otherwise possess. He's done a lot of the heavy lifting in my own "Great Work." Helped many people reach the height on the mountain that they currently enjoy. Shall I poison myself with hormones of hate because he's reached his own personal tree-line?
Maybe this is kinda my fault for labeling him as a "general" in the first place.
When I started this journey, the "archon" concept was extremely useful for me. I didn't believe in archons. And I think I needed that day to day disbelief in order to keep me sane. But I found that if I could believe in them just for certain situations (like when I'm pissed off and about to blow my lid) then I could inhabit all the useful perspectives that come with that belief.
If I think some little maggot is riding me and steering me into a cactus so that he can feed on my ensuing pain and sorrow, I will go to war. My undiagnosed Oppositional Defiant Disorder will kick in and I will employ strategies that'll go to work on Mr. archon over here with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. This belief gives me almost God-like abilities to transmute abject rage into the purest love and joy. Gotta be the purest- kills best.
I don't need NASA or the pope to sign off on the existence of archons. All I need is a belief that I can whip out for a specific occasion that triggers me to accomplish my own goals.
I believe in archons now, fully. And I hunt them like an assassin. I truly believe they've become scared of me. Not because it is true, but because it is indeterminable and it empowers me. Every now and again one will come around and take a shot at the title, and I give him a lesson in what a little Weaponized Cognitive Dissonance can do.
The matrix wants you to believe that belief itself is heavy and unmoving. Like a ball and chain or a rock that you cling to in a storm.
I seek to make my beliefs into a jetpack and a minigun.
Many psychology websites define it as the resulting discomfort experienced when your beliefs don't match the reality of the world around you.
I see Cognitive Dissonance as a capability of the human mind that can be used for good or ill. In fact, the dirt merchants at the top of the pyramid absolutely rely on the human mind's ability to do this. It is why you can have a person who believes that all politicians are scumbags who would steal candy from a baby, but would never lie about the moon landing or why we're invading Iraq for the seventh time.
In order to weaponize Cognitive Dissonance for the good of the many, a clear distinction must be made between the two "matrix" definitions. When your beliefs don't match the reality of the world around you, this is a bad state of affairs. And your body will usually let you know with the "resulting discomfort." One should always try to align their beliefs and behavior with the reality of the world around them.
Looking both ways before you cross the street is an example of a behavior (looking both ways) based on a belief (I could be hit by a car) that is grounded in reality.
However, when the reality of a situation is indeterminable (like say, the existence of God or the ability of humans to create a Utopian society), Cognitive Dissonance can become a valuable tool in your belt.
For example, I firmly believe that I am better than the people around me. I can see the reality of the government's manipulation and lies, and I can courageously accept the reality of it. The people around me are far to underdeveloped to accept this reality, even when I put incontrovertible proof of it right in front of their face. I possess the ability to admit when I'm wrong and change my behavior and beliefs to match the reality of the world around me. They do not. This clearly makes me better.
However, I also firmly believe that I am no better than anyone else. We are all down here together, thoroughly victimized and traumatized by the dirt merchants on top. We are all trying to climb a mountain together, and because I have found an easy way up to the next ridgeline, doesn't make me better- it just makes me lucky. And I must try to point out the easy way up to as many of my brothers and sisters below as I possibly can.
Clearly contradictory beliefs. What is the truth of the matter? Indeterminable.
But the usefulness of being able to swap out these beliefs to suit the situation at hand is profound.
If I am at a party and I ask a dude if he's ever seen a UFO, and he starts laughing at me and calling me a nut job and conspiracy theorist in front of everybody- I can simply think "I am better than you," and smile quietly to myself. That shit-eating grin that says "I know something that you don't know." This offers me both protection from his ridicule, and the opportunity for anyone watching to come and find me later and ask me just what it is that I know and he doesn't.
Greg talks in interviews about "getting that tap on the shoulder," (when THC gets big enough to force some bottom-dwelling lizard dirt merchant to come slithering out of the pyramid's capstone and tap Greg on the shoulder to tell him to stop talking about certain topics or they'll kill him). Greg asserts his position repeatedly- "I ain't gonna be a martyr for this shit!"
My immediate response to this is "You fucking pussy! I CANNOT ABIDE A GENERAL WHO LEADS FROM THE REAR. What am I listening to this punk for??? Greg is the reason we can't have nice things. I wouldn't panzy away like that! I am better than him."
And then I say, "Hold on, wait a minute. Let's analyze this situation. Greg, and what he has built, is a huge positive in my life. Should I turn my back on him because he feels he can only take this fight so far? He's done -and continues to do- alotta good work in expanding people's minds and introducing them to vast amounts of knowledge they wouldn't otherwise possess. He's done a lot of the heavy lifting in my own "Great Work." Helped many people reach the height on the mountain that they currently enjoy. Shall I poison myself with hormones of hate because he's reached his own personal tree-line?
Maybe this is kinda my fault for labeling him as a "general" in the first place.
When I started this journey, the "archon" concept was extremely useful for me. I didn't believe in archons. And I think I needed that day to day disbelief in order to keep me sane. But I found that if I could believe in them just for certain situations (like when I'm pissed off and about to blow my lid) then I could inhabit all the useful perspectives that come with that belief.
If I think some little maggot is riding me and steering me into a cactus so that he can feed on my ensuing pain and sorrow, I will go to war. My undiagnosed Oppositional Defiant Disorder will kick in and I will employ strategies that'll go to work on Mr. archon over here with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. This belief gives me almost God-like abilities to transmute abject rage into the purest love and joy. Gotta be the purest- kills best.
I don't need NASA or the pope to sign off on the existence of archons. All I need is a belief that I can whip out for a specific occasion that triggers me to accomplish my own goals.
I believe in archons now, fully. And I hunt them like an assassin. I truly believe they've become scared of me. Not because it is true, but because it is indeterminable and it empowers me. Every now and again one will come around and take a shot at the title, and I give him a lesson in what a little Weaponized Cognitive Dissonance can do.
The matrix wants you to believe that belief itself is heavy and unmoving. Like a ball and chain or a rock that you cling to in a storm.
I seek to make my beliefs into a jetpack and a minigun.