Research studies on the subject of misinformation show that:  

When information doesn’t square with someone’s prior beliefs,

Not all false information goes on to become a false belief -- meaning: a lasting state of incorrect knowledge -- and not all false beliefs are difficult to correct.

For example astronomy. If you were asked to explain the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, you might do so incorrectly, and a friend who understands astronomy might correct you. No big deal, you simply change your belief.

But in the time of Galileo, the view of the Earth-sun relationship was tied closely to ideas of the nature of the world, the self, and religion. If Galileo tried to correct your belief, the process wouldn't be as simple.

The crucial difference between then and now, is the IMPORTANCE of the Misperception.
 When there's no immediate threat to our understanding of the world, we change our beliefs. Problems occur when that change contradicts something we hold as important.

False beliefs stem from issues closely tied to our conception of self. False beliefs, it turns out have a great deal to do with self-identity; What kind of person am I, and what kind of person do I want to be? This self-identity issue affects all ideologies.

Facts and evidence simply aren't that effective, given how selectively they are processed and interpreted.   Strongly held beliefs continue to influence judgment, despite correction attempts … even with a supposedly conscious awareness of what is happening.

When someone believes something strongly,  new information isn't going to change their mind.  
 

                  
DietHobby is a digital Scrapbook of thoughts, opinions and graphics that interest or appeal to me. One of the nice things about having my own website is that I can post online whatever I like, whenever I wish to do so.

My ARCHIVES of articles and videos are like a handful of hearts that I am happy to share with interested others.  

                     

Several months ago, in a forum that I frequent, I came upon a post by an MD who created a specific diet, asking the forum members this question.  

"I wonder why everyone in the world isn't on this diet, and why doesn't everyone in this world stay on the diet until they reach a very thin weight? Do you think people just don't want to be thin? Do you think they don't fully understand or agree with the benefits of being thin?"

 Here is the reply that I posted:   

"Here's what I think . . .   . . . and Remember . . . You Asked. 

Following through with eating only tiny amounts of food for weeks at a time is emotionally very hard for most people, and especially hard for obese people.

22 years ago I had a RNY, and I've spent lots of time around people who've had similar weight loss surgeries. This taught me that the main reason a Gastric Bypass is so effective in causing weight-loss is not a lack of stomach hunger. It is the fact that for 6 months to a year, even a tiny bit of food cheating causes immediate and severe physical pain, but there's no longer an option to eat-a-much-as-you-want-of-what-you want because you've physically lost that choice. You can't quit.

Like a Gastric Bypass, … when followed correctly … the ______ Diet will reduce stomach size to reduce or eliminate hunger. But although overeating can cause some temporary discomfort, overeating allows hunger to return, and you retain the physical ability to choose to quit.

People, even...

That's it.

Looking at a Fat Person tells us the person is Fat.

NOTHING Else.