When Prophecy Fails

A man with a conviction is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.

The presence of supporting co-believers would seem to be an indispensable requirement for recovery from such extreme disconfirmation.

The five conditions we listed were these:

1. There must be conviction.

2. There must be commitment to this conviction.

3. The conviction must be amenable to unequivocal disconfirmation.

4. Such unequivocal disconfirmation must occur.

5. Social support must be available subsequent to the disconfirmation.

five conditions we listed were these:

1. There must be conviction.

2. There must be commitment to this conviction.

3. The conviction must be amenable to unequivocal disconfirmation.

4. Such unequivocal disconfirmation must occur.

5. Social support must be available subsequent to the disconfirmation.

Two opinions, or beliefs, or items of knowledge are dissonant with each other if they do not fit together

Two opinions, or beliefs, or items of knowledge are dissonant with each other if they do not fit together