Cognitive Dissonance: Rhetorical Problems of its Use

The phrase "Cognitive Dissonance" has to be one of the Internet's favorite phrases. It is levied time and again in many different areas of the online world. Its use brings an elitist adversarial quality, as if the act of calling out an adversary's humanity is enough to redeem self-similar transgressive magnitudes on the part of the accuser. To such an end this makes its use in moderated debate highly problematic.

In general the use of the trope, in a way fitting to the broadcast nature of the online world, serves to rally a political base at the expense of the greater national dialogue. In more quaint terms we might refer to this as, "mud slinging."

This trope is used to cudgel adversaries with the title of "stupid" , or "dunce" and as such often the use of the phrase is connected to a wider critique that cites a scientific principle or study. Yet, rather then a matter of pure science the issue revolves around the propriety and the policy that should be derived from that science.

This is the rhetorical space where we most see the trope used. Someone of "scientific" thought attempting to discredit his/her opponent's ideas with regards to policy. Now up to this point it has been assumed that all these debates would occur within national boundaries. However, with the Internet we have a new ascendancy of trans-national agendas.

Now the use of the trope of, "Cognitive Dissonance" brings with it this trans-national baggage. The trope is caught between two larger competing meta-dialogues, that of national interest vs. intra-national interest. Which dialogue is more important that of the nation or that of the interest group?

Now I'm convinced that the use of the term last night on the Daily Show speaks to the general breakdown in all matters of national cooperation. There are reasons why shows like the Daily Show, and by extension those that it parodies (FOX, MSNBC news) are at the edges of relevance. We as a nation no longer rely on a few discernible sources for news and information. This in turn makes such shows that parody these institutions equally, if not more, irrelevant

Thus the use of the term, "Cognitive Dissonance" in this environment of break-down isn't helped by the sheer seriousness of the speaker. Jon Stewart may be many things, but he long ago gave up his comedy hat. And the use of the term on the Daily Show would suggest that such traditional institutions are slipping into further irrelevancy.

This is unfortunate for those of us who still rely on these institutions in-so-far as we are not tied to a cubical and computer and able to engage the new paradigm at every turn as demanded by the intra-national interests.

With that aside the use of the trope in modern discourse is always a beacon of a completely failed dialogue. When ever it is paraded out by a speaker its use is quite simple and the outcomes are sure to fall along fully partisan lines.

 Much to the dismay of those of us who still believe in cooperative nationalism, I think Jon Stewart's use of the trope informs us: that, as a nation we are only as strong as those who believe in it for its principles and not for what intra-national causes may gain from it.

New Blog Launch

I have just launched a new blog, Tech-Nicality where I will discuss in a more direct manner that of the confluence of old and new technology, economic woes, and new training through my eyes as one entering the trades.

I still plan to keep this blog and there will be no adjustment of content. Anomie, is more abstract and of a different subject matter, and it is my hope that the blogs will end up complementing each other.

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Raw Link:
http://tech-nicality.blogspot.com/