this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2026
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Leopards Ate My Face
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Good for them I guess, but does it have to be like some grand profound life changing soul cleansing event to simply admit you were wrong?
It is surprisingly difficult to admit when you were wrong when doing so means you're severing yourself from the community you're a part of, and you stand to lose friends, family, or even your own identity from a simple change in ideology or a realization of one's own mistakes. It's how cults trap people (because maga is a cult, of sorts,) and it's how people get trapped in abusive relationships. It's easier to brush off evidence and morality as lies or whatever when you stand to lose much more than an argument if you admit you're wrong.
It's a toxic cycle that maga, like all cults, preys upon. Cognitive dissonance is surprisingly hard to overcome when you have so many voices telling you to remain complacent.
As for it being some grand soul cleansing or whatever, I doubt people would buy it if that's what they're trying to portray it as, but it is better than nothing. In my opinion, the more people we have leaving maga and the more we normalize, perhaps even reward overcoming cognitive dissonance, the better.
I guess that’s true. These people didnt simply drink the kool aid, they injected it directly into their bloodstream. Shit went straight to the dome.
Biologically, yeah, kinda. We're wired that way, and it's unusual for it to come naturally to anyone.