Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us

In a time of unprecedented political division, one thing that seems to unite both Democrats and Republicans is their love of Trump's lies.

Whether he's claiming that the election was stolen from him, that the COVID-19 pandemic is a hoax, or that he's the greatest president in American history, Trump's lies are often met with cheers and applause from his supporters.

Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us

by Amanda Carpenter

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But why do we love it when Trump lies to us? What is it about his lies that makes us so drawn to them?

Psychologists have a few theories.

Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that we experience when we hold two or more conflicting beliefs.

For example, we might believe that Trump is a liar, but we also might believe that he's a strong leader.

When these two beliefs conflict, we experience cognitive dissonance.

One way to reduce cognitive dissonance is to simply change one of our beliefs.

In the case of Trump, his supporters might choose to believe that he's not really a liar, or that his lies are justified.

Another way to reduce cognitive dissonance is to find evidence that supports both of our beliefs.

In the case of Trump, his supporters might point to his accomplishments as president, such as the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as evidence that he's a strong leader.

By finding evidence that supports both of our beliefs, we can reduce cognitive dissonance and maintain our positive view of Trump.

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs.

For example, if we believe that Trump is a liar, we might be more likely to pay attention to news stories that report on his lies.

We might also be more likely to dismiss news stories that report on his accomplishments.

Confirmation bias can lead us to overestimate the frequency of Trump's lies and underestimate the frequency of his accomplishments.

This can lead us to a distorted view of Trump's presidency.

Other Psychological Factors

In addition to cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias, there are a number of other psychological factors that can contribute to our love of Trump's lies.

These factors include:

• Emotional attachment: We tend to be more attached to people who share our beliefs.
• Social identity: We tend to identify with groups that share our beliefs.
• Need for certainty: We tend to be drawn to leaders who offer us certainty and predictability.
• Need for closure: We tend to be drawn to leaders who offer us closure and resolution to our problems.

These psychological factors can all contribute to our love of Trump's lies.

Why do we love it when Trump lies to us? The answer is complex and involves a number of psychological factors.

Cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and other psychological factors can all contribute to our love of Trump's lies.

It's important to be aware of these psychological factors so that we can make more informed decisions about the information we consume and the leaders we support.

Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us

by Amanda Carpenter

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1666 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	281 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE