RESPONDENT: One thing that puzzled me though – I could understand
the objections to all the content (as I was going through all that), but why the respondents objected to the style and coherent presentation
and inquiry into the issues involved? why did they cop-out in between? of course the answer can be found within me: the various beliefs and
opinions one has is not interested in total and coherent inquiry; it is far, far difficult to substantiate all the emotionally felt ‘truths’
etc. which are ‘previously acquired images/ideas that reflect neither autonomous reasoning nor apperception’.
RICHARD: Yes ... the term ‘cognitive dissonance
’ would be better described as a ‘feeling-fed cognitive dissonance’ as it is not just a
mental blockage which causes people to be unable to grasp innovative things that are to their own advantage and to fight so hard to retain the
existing belief systems which are inimical to their welfare.
It is the strangest of incongruities in regards to human pertinacity that peoples will invent
reasons and struggle to maintain a state of affairs that is detrimental to their own advancement ... even those conditions which enslave them.
*
RESPONDENT: ... sometimes I find that Richard does not seem to be
able to read between the lines in the way that I and others on the list can. I have considered that to be evidence of his having lost an
affective faculty – but it makes communication with him painfully difficult for me.
PETER: Have you noticed that a good many people come to this list expecting their egos to be
pampered to, wanting to have the usual wishy-washy superficial conversations about the human condition, wanting to keep the conversation on a
philosophical level, hoping to have their pet beliefs confirmed, wanting to keep their cards close to their chest rather than lay them on the
table or desperately wanting to prove Richard wrong presumably in order that they can then dismiss actualism and continue on living their life
as-it-is? And have you also noticed that so many leave in a huff when their expectations are not met?
