All posts by Cognitive Dissonance

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post

There Will Be Blood…and Many More Lies

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There Will Be Blood…and Many More Lies

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Cognitive Dissonance

 

I suppose if we randomly stopped people in the street and asked if they were an honest person, the vast majority of answers would be in the affirmative. And if we applied a generous and flexible definition to the word “honest”, I suspect people might actually be considered honest about their self declared honesty. But in truth, in all the animal kingdom we humans are the most dishonest and deceitful, particularly with ourselves.

Therefore it stands to reason we would lie about our dishonesty, to each other and especially to ourselves. One simply cannot maintain lies when they stand in the face of contrary and irrefutable truth unless an individual and cooperative self deception is employed. In effect we are all liars, of this there is little doubt. The only real question is to what degree. This assessment may be harsh, but it is not fundamentally wrong. Continue reading There Will Be Blood…and Many More Lies →

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post, Patreon Content

A Few Screws Loose

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A Few Screws Loose

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Cognitive Dissonance

 

 

Twice a year, usually in the spring and fall, I haul out one of my extension ladders, fill my back pockets with various wrenches and screwdrivers, and venture up onto our log cabin roof. My purpose is always the same; tighten any loose nuts and bolts on our solar array and conduct a visual inspection of the roof itself.

In the old days they called this type of activity “preventive maintenance” and I always find something that needs tightening or adjusting on the solar array. Nothing major, mind you, just a screw loose here and there which might cause a problem sometime down the road. A quarter or half turn with a 5/8” box end wrench or 5/16” hex key and all’s right in Cog’s solar universe.

Loose screws and fittings are known structural vulnerabilities when generating power from sunlight. The constant heating and cooling of the aluminum frame, combined with high winds out here on the edge of the mountain, present minor challenges easily overcome if one is proactive and not afraid of heights.

Well, not too afraid of heights. I admit to being a little queasy until I get my sea legs properly adjusted. Mrs. Cog, on the other hand, does not like me on the roof and lets me know her displeasure every fifteen minutes or so when she appears outside looking for blood and guts spilled from a fallen Cog. In truth I don’t blame her for her concern. I’m not as young as I once was and balance is no longer my strong suit. Continue reading A Few Screws Loose →

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post, Patreon Content

The Honor Box

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The Honor Box

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Cognitive Dissonance

 

It is commonly said the fish rots from the head down, meaning leadership is the root cause of the failure and demise of any organization, regardless of whether we are speaking of a country, culture or company. I’m not so sure this is true, at least not in all cases.

For this common belief to be correct, those further down the food chain must (essentially) be subservient to those at the top, unable to control or even influence leadership to shape up or ship out. The saying implies we are little more than passive passengers, our fate sealed by those piloting the plane up front.

If this is the case, then the form of government practiced in the US, a representative republic (and NOT a democracy) where those at the top, our elected leaders, are elevated into leadership roles with our consent and support, and can be deposed/removed the same way, does not in actual practice exist.

Either we are victims or we are not. Either we have free choice or we have not. Either they make us do it or they do not. Either we rule “our” leadership or we do not. Continue reading The Honor Box →

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post

Animal Spirits and Over Extended Markets

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Animal Spirits and Over Extended Markets

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Cognitive Dissonance

 

 

Animal spirits is the term John Maynard Keynes used in his 1936 book “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money” to describe the instincts, proclivities and emotions that ostensibly influence and guide human behavior, and which can be measured in terms of, for example, consumer confidence. It has since been argued that trust is also included in or produced by "animal spirits". – Wikipedia

 

Voltaire is alleged to have said "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." Those are wise words indeed and the subject of a future article. For now, though, I wish to modify Voltaire slightly to express my own point of view.

“To learn what controls us, simply find out what we don’t wish to discuss…at least not directly.” – Cognitive Dissonance

I attempt to view us silly humans as would a space alien orbiting Earth in order to observe our terminal insanity from a safe distance. While I freely admit disassociating myself from everyone else is nearly impossible (I can’t just flip a switch and stop thinking like a deeply conditioned and biased human) I still give it the old college try. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Or to quote Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

I just love that one. Continue reading Animal Spirits and Over Extended Markets →

Cogs Two Ice Floes Post, Patreon Content

Mother Nature Shows Off Her Stuff

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Mother Nature Shows Off Her Stuff

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Cognitive Dissonance

 

 

Mrs. Cog and I live on the edge of the Blue Ridge Plateau here in Southwestern Virginia. And by on the edge I mean literally on the edge. Our back property line ends where a very steep wooded drop off begins. Five more steps over the property line and it's a one way trip down for well over a quarter of mile.

I call it the ridge.

Continue reading Mother Nature Shows Off Her Stuff →