If you have ever enjoyed any of my videos you really should click on the link below to watch my TED Talk and learn even more about who I am and how YOU also can use your wide variety of positive differences to make yourself special and positively standout in life. Check it out and please leave a comment when you do. Much appreciated! th-cam.com/video/iFsRbMxp8dw/w-d-xo.html
I really enjoyed this video. I think cognitive dissonance is the result of practicing group identity as a philosophical principle. Which in my opinion, is not paramount to optimizing human potential. I like what you said in your other video about contemporary education and how it's conducive of this "group think" philosophy rather than giving students the proper tools and exercises to become critical thinkers. (I've held the same opinion for a long time). Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
thank you for this, ive been struggling with understanding my close one's inability to see logic and reasoning and this clears up a lot especially the beginning
You're very welcome. Prior programming can really close off many peoples minds from ever being all the way alive in life in ways that bring about the most growth. We need to allow ourselves to be sure enough to be unsure, listen, ponder and grow.
@Al Tak we can usually tell when someone is smarter than us and we can usually tell when someone isn't as smart as us but we can never understand what that means. (We can't understand what smarter or not as smart means) what does it mean to be smarter or not as smart as "yourself"? It's an question no one can answer.
This is great. I just posted a comment to a different video asking you to discuss this topic and in this video (which you had already made) you discuss it at length. :)
I guess I was super lucky. About last year my and my dad would always get into arguments and I would not every let go of my belief/point no matter what until we talked about it after school huge argument and he told me basically that the truth doesn't care and it's ok to let go of ideas because now you have the right idea instead of the wrong one and I've been like that ever since.
Good to hear! I rarely ever argue or even debate with people because I don't like being right at the expense of other people feeling wrong. Sadly, people view disagreements as arguments and that can escalate with some folks ... So, I just offer thoughts and allow people to accept or decline them. People have the right to be wrong - and that includes me as well!
I argued about religion with my ex girlfriend a lot, an atheist like myself could not understand the reasoning as to why she would believe god exists. The answer she would always give was "I have my experiences". There was no changing her mind that was for sure and she was not going to change my mind that god exists unless she could prove it.
I fully understand and have seen/heard this conversation far too many times. I allow others their own beliefs and wish them the best whether or not we both share the same thoughts, beliefs and/or fantasies.
Really great video. This is the second video I've watched from your channel. It's a pleasure learning from you. I also sent you a friend request on Facebook, if you don't mind?
Thank you, Teo. I will do so throughout my life in a variety of ways. I hope that you will do the same with the many gifts that you undoubtedly have as well!
@@jefferyford5309 I must say, you are a remarkable man. It's rare to find one so willing to openly and fairly communicate with their audience. I am humbled to be in your presence. I have many questions for you. I am young and unlearned. I'm hopeful time and dedication will be my remedy for ignorance. I suppose I might as well ask one now, in hopes of listening to your honest mind. If you had one question to an all knowing/infinite being of God, to receive THE answer. What would your question be? This inquiry is far more personalized, and meant from me to you. I can elaborate on the reason I formate asking a question for a question as the answer. (Though as an overview) In my experience of life, asking the right question is the fastest way to learn. My question to 'God' would be, "Will you teach me?" Is my question meaningless or meaningful? Help me to understand from your perspective. Is there any relevance to this question being asked?
Balance is important - for a long time I dove exclusively into media outlets that offered a contrarian view of my perspectives, aimed at growth and improving my ability to debate topics. Sometimes you need to come up for air and be in agreement with what you consume, otherwise...grumpy....
We largely agree and I can relate to your feelings and thoughts. I don't necessarily listen to opposing views in order to debate with others as much as I do just to learn what different perspectives exist in the world. Debating bores me due to most peoples inability and unwillingness to truly listen in order to actually challenge their own beliefs. I can only control what I share ... I cannot control how others process. BTW, if you ever want to give a child the perfect gift during the holidays, simply sit on the floor with them and actually listen to them. It will make them feel special and let them know they are important to you.
I become so frustrated with myself with inability to become more intelligent. I read, and study , but cannot seem to retain much of the information, I watch videos but again my retention is nearly nothing. I try reading book about to learn better and faster , but cannot recall a thing that I have read. It's just so darn frustrating!
Joke Ster, you may needo to adjust your diet aND maybe eat a bit more fats... You may also try meditation and memory excercises. Each person is different but maybe try looking up ways to improve memory and concentration online...
Tried to write ✍️ down the things you learn with your own language and simplify them so you better understand it, it also helps you to create a connection with the new information
People also identify with high iq ( a box, or a name).. It doesn,t matter, the thing that matter is: Are you happy, are you living the life you truely want to live and are you retrograde to your needs and wishes.... A human is a fascinating being.. If I wasn,t a musician/teacher/composer/junior-producer/mixer, I would be a psycho analyst for sure...Details and overview and creativity are my strengths, chaos and laugh about that my weaknesses, call it overwhelmed by the many things... I believe that smart people can think Multi layered...
I just discovered something called the perception action cycle. It allows the brain to model reality and the results of its actions. It is a first step to A.I. development. I also discovered that internal feedback allows the brain to generate creative ideas like paintings or lord of the rings. I kind of lack internal generation but I am good at external generation/creativity. I store in my brain abstractions that are neither visual nor auditory. Not because I cannot think abstractly about them but because I do not see them. An example is Micky Mouse. I know exactly what Micky Mouse looks like and what actions he has done in cartoons but I cannot see him in my head. I term has been coined called blind sight, I would say I have blind imagination. I am still able to know what Micky mouse looks like. People would not believe me if I told them. I do have dreams but they are dim with shadows and not much light. I find it fascinating that people can internally generate. A plus side to that is they need no external source to have fun. I generate externally so I often get bumps in life where I have nothing to do and this makes me sad. I need to be constantly busy to feel like I am achieving self-actualization. I use the internet all the time because it is the best tool for me to gain ideas. External reference helps me get ideas. If you know about Introverted Intuition I have been into Jungian typology so long that the consensus of the forums I visit is INFJ. (Ni takes everything in the unconscious and converges on abstract insights)(Fe is sensitive to negative and positive affect in people)(Combined Ni and Fe model others unconsciously and thus understand the best communication when encountering others) This is a long comment but I am currently looking into how different ways of thinking affect people. I know you can use this information to expand your understanding of the mental landscape and I think it adds to your video because different ways of thinking is something to learn about if you want to be more intelligent. Great video Jeffery.
TERRIFIC comment! Thank you for sharing those things about yourself and letting us have a sneak peak into your perception of the world. I'm sure many more people can relate to various aspects of what you wrote than you might have believed at one time. Embrace it all and keep moving forward with it.
Very wise. It's good to be wary of these topics, especially with people who will become too emotional or physically violent. It's sad people can't just share ideas for understanding and/or persuasion without there being unnecessary repercussions.
Just approach it however you feel most comfortable. I enjoy their publication called Vidya and occasionally pop in to participate with their Facebook group page. All my best!
Just because the truth is incredible, it doesnt mean its not true. True history is incredible, but not false. My very intelligent family members attack me with full vehemence when i try to discuss anything true. I try not to discuss anything with them. Oh no! They throw insults at me for bringing up anything that doesnt jive with their "open-minded" "liberal" belief system. I love reading material that doesnt align with my current belief system. Thats the only way ive learned anything, but the more i learn, the more i alienate myself from everyone living in the matrix.
That's how it works. I'm glad you're not letting it stop you from becoming more knowledgeable and fully human. There's a price to pay but many of us find it to be worth it. Best wishes and I hope you discover your tribe in life.
Congitive dissonance and Dunning-Kruger effect are greatest attributes of people. Prevents dumb people from being extremly frustrated (and violent). And helps smart people with low level of error to filter out immediatelly most of people which are not worth to waste breath with. That way, your videos are not flooded by worhtless comments. Dumb and useless people consider yourself to be "below their level" and consider it not being worth for them to comment under your videos.,
Perhaps consider Cultural Dissonance through rejection of forms of Mystical Participation. Lots of counter cultural trends rebel against structural inconsistencies in governance, religion and commerce. In particular with context to human life, wellbeing, life on earth, and the environments. In small glimmerings, most of us realize the sad state of affairs that our individual choices, both conscious and unconscious have lead our species to, our individual lives to . Yet we abide the dissonance through wonderous dreams of a shining future, among the stars or the ignorant bliss of a perfectly packaged and paid-for life. There's a logic to maintaining a sort of tension between possible worlds when the alternative is to identify and reject Mystical Participation, perhaps at the cost of cultural ties. The young however have less to lose and from time to time, shed the inconsistencies of their elders, only to create their own perfect prison.
Hello Jeffery, nice vid. I've noticed that a few geniuses are God believers, which seems illogical to me. Jordan Peterson comes to mind, or Christopher Langan, who has an IQ above 200 and a book in which he claims to demonstrate the existence of God. I haven't read it yet, may be he does demonstrate it, but my skepticism is great. What are your thoughts about this? Thank you and good altruistic job!
IMHO it is plainly poor form to take question ideas and opinions one has as an attack on oneself. I think it used to be more generally accepted that this is poor form rather than just accepting it.
I believe the question is how those of us who are self aware, know we know nothing and possess a high iq, presume that we can convince those with CD of their CD? Alternately, why should we be bothered by their dissonance and allow ourselves to be affected?
Great information. What is your political affiliation? OK I bet you won't answer, but it doesn't mean I won't be curious. Both Democrats and Republicans do bad things. Both do good things. However, if you are loyal to the group, either one, it becomes uncomfortable to acknowledge any short coming the group has, with others in the group to fix it. Once you seek conversation with people who agree with you on one issue, now you, yourself seem to fixed and inflexibly positioned to accept everything else without question. When you do this, the group can be more successful, however, successful to what end?
How can you call such people intelligent? I can't qualify such people who have such centrally unintelligent thought patterns as intelligent... I mean in very young people OK but not people over 30...
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
It's interesting that people in the Middle Ages needed that kind of condemnation of knowledge. Because in these harsh wars, epidemics, child death and so on, knowing the harshness of a reality they are ill-equipped to deal with could only harm them and lead them to further destruction. So by creating an universal truth that provided hope for salvation, a reason for the suffering and a sense that the world is just (when reality showed them it was far from it), religion saved these people psychologically. Some want to escape reality through their beliefs nowadays too and I won't pass judgement on them because I've never been in their position. Some use (part of) it as a foundation to their life philosophy. As an atheist, I think Christianity (like all) things isn't good or bad and it's unfair to judge its core ideas from our modern point of view. It's an intriguing phenomenon.
If you have ever enjoyed any of my videos you really should click on the link below to watch my TED Talk and learn even more about who I am and how YOU also can use your wide variety of positive differences to make yourself special and positively standout in life. Check it out and please leave a comment when you do. Much appreciated! th-cam.com/video/iFsRbMxp8dw/w-d-xo.html
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
I appreciate your ability to keep it simple. Keep doing what you’re doing
I really enjoyed this video. I think cognitive dissonance is the result of practicing group identity as a philosophical principle. Which in my opinion, is not paramount to optimizing human potential. I like what you said in your other video about contemporary education and how it's conducive of this "group think" philosophy rather than giving students the proper tools and exercises to become critical thinkers. (I've held the same opinion for a long time). Looking forward to watching more of your videos!
Thank you very much. I'm sure we could all learn a lot from you as well!
thank you for this, ive been struggling with understanding my close one's inability to see logic and reasoning and this clears up a lot especially the beginning
You're very welcome. Prior programming can really close off many peoples minds from ever being all the way alive in life in ways that bring about the most growth. We need to allow ourselves to be sure enough to be unsure, listen, ponder and grow.
Intelligence doesn't equal wisdom
@Al Tak we can usually tell when someone is smarter than us and we can usually tell when someone isn't as smart as us but we can never understand what that means. (We can't understand what smarter or not as smart means) what does it mean to be smarter or not as smart as "yourself"? It's an question no one can answer.
Intellectual curiosity, grace and willingness to change.
Aside from instances of physical dependence, a drinking problem IS a THINKING problem, in my experience.
Outstanding video! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you.
This guy's a hoot. Just goes to show not all geniuses are stoopid.
No. We are not all stupid but we are all ignorant of many, many things.
It's great to find another genius Ford like myself! Love your channel and your message.
Thank you Jeff, for sharing your thoughts and experiences. All the best
Thank you very much! Wishing you the very best!
This is great. I just posted a comment to a different video asking you to discuss this topic and in this video (which you had already made) you discuss it at length. :)
I'm happy to have helped! Fate can sometimes be kind. All my best to you.
Thanks Jeffrey.Keep up the good work.
You're very welcome! More videos are coming up soon.
GOOD MORNING...THANK YOU FOR SHARING...POSTED FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Top of the morning to you!
I guess I was super lucky. About last year my and my dad would always get into arguments and I would not every let go of my belief/point no matter what until we talked about it after school huge argument and he told me basically that the truth doesn't care and it's ok to let go of ideas because now you have the right idea instead of the wrong one and I've been like that ever since.
Good to hear! I rarely ever argue or even debate with people because I don't like being right at the expense of other people feeling wrong. Sadly, people view disagreements as arguments and that can escalate with some folks ... So, I just offer thoughts and allow people to accept or decline them. People have the right to be wrong - and that includes me as well!
@@jefferyford5309 thanks for the advice!
I argued about religion with my ex girlfriend a lot, an atheist like myself could not understand the reasoning as to why she would believe god exists. The answer she would always give was "I have my experiences". There was no changing her mind that was for sure and she was not going to change my mind that god exists unless she could prove it.
I fully understand and have seen/heard this conversation far too many times. I allow others their own beliefs and wish them the best whether or not we both share the same thoughts, beliefs and/or fantasies.
Regarding drinking (water) problem, it seems that your mouth was dry during the video 😊.
Thank you for your video (with simple principles)
You're very welcome. Wishing you the very best in life!
Really great video. This is the second video I've watched from your channel. It's a pleasure learning from you. I also sent you a friend request on Facebook, if you don't mind?
Thank you, Jack. I'll be proud to accept your friend request!
Thank you. 😁🙏 Please continue to share for people like me.
Thank you, Teo. I will do so throughout my life in a variety of ways. I hope that you will do the same with the many gifts that you undoubtedly have as well!
@@jefferyford5309 I must say, you are a remarkable man. It's rare to find one so willing to openly and fairly communicate with their audience. I am humbled to be in your presence.
I have many questions for you. I am young and unlearned. I'm hopeful time and dedication will be my remedy for ignorance. I suppose I might as well ask one now, in hopes of listening to your honest mind.
If you had one question to an all knowing/infinite being of God, to receive THE answer. What would your question be?
This inquiry is far more personalized, and meant from me to you. I can elaborate on the reason I formate asking a question for a question as the answer. (Though as an overview) In my experience of life, asking the right question is the fastest way to learn. My question to 'God' would be, "Will you teach me?"
Is my question meaningless or meaningful? Help me to understand from your perspective. Is there any relevance to this question being asked?
Balance is important - for a long time I dove exclusively into media outlets that offered a contrarian view of my perspectives, aimed at growth and improving my ability to debate topics. Sometimes you need to come up for air and be in agreement with what you consume, otherwise...grumpy....
We largely agree and I can relate to your feelings and thoughts. I don't necessarily listen to opposing views in order to debate with others as much as I do just to learn what different perspectives exist in the world. Debating bores me due to most peoples inability and unwillingness to truly listen in order to actually challenge their own beliefs. I can only control what I share ... I cannot control how others process. BTW, if you ever want to give a child the perfect gift during the holidays, simply sit on the floor with them and actually listen to them. It will make them feel special and let them know they are important to you.
I become so frustrated with myself with inability to become more intelligent.
I read, and study , but cannot seem to retain much of the information,
I watch videos but again my retention is nearly nothing.
I try reading book about to learn better and faster , but cannot recall a thing
that I have read.
It's just so darn frustrating!
joke ster any iq test is SUPER easy. I blew through the mensa test in seconds, just don't try at all. You sound 12
Joke Ster, you may needo to adjust your diet aND maybe eat a bit more fats... You may also try meditation and memory excercises.
Each person is different but maybe try looking up ways to improve memory and concentration online...
Walter Lowlife maybe for you, other people are just not suited for any sort of standardized testing.
You might have a disorder like adhd
Tried to write ✍️ down the things you learn with your own language and simplify them so you better understand it, it also helps you to create a connection with the new information
I respect what your explaining
But I can't choose happiness over the truth
Because love alohim with all your might mind soul is a command's se'lah
Great informative video
Thank you, Emma!
A very good piece to camera. We think in a similar way. My I.Q is nowhere near yours though. Thank you for your video and all the best. 😁
People also identify with high iq ( a box, or a name).. It doesn,t matter, the thing that matter is: Are you happy, are you living the life you truely want to live and are you retrograde to your needs and wishes.... A human is a fascinating being.. If I wasn,t a musician/teacher/composer/junior-producer/mixer, I would be a psycho analyst for sure...Details and overview and creativity are my strengths, chaos and laugh about that my weaknesses, call it overwhelmed by the many things... I believe that smart people can think Multi layered...
So true
Is cognitive dissonance the same thing as an unhealthy disagreement?
While it can certainly lead some people into unhealthy disagreements it is not the same thing as an unhealthy disagreement.
Do you mind listing all High IQ Societies you particpate? I was able to find only six of them. Thank you in advance!
Great video, I needed that.
Thank you very much. I'm glad I helped you to understand better. Cognitive dissonance truly does explain so much of human behavior.
I just discovered something called the perception action cycle. It allows the brain to model reality and the results of its actions.
It is a first step to A.I. development. I also discovered that internal feedback allows the brain to generate creative ideas like paintings or lord of the rings. I kind of lack internal generation but I am good at external generation/creativity. I store in my brain abstractions that are neither visual nor auditory. Not because I cannot think abstractly about them but because I do not see them. An example is Micky Mouse. I know exactly what Micky Mouse looks like and what actions he has done in cartoons but I cannot see him in my head. I term has been coined called blind sight, I would say I have blind imagination. I am still able to know what Micky mouse looks like. People would not believe me if I told them. I do have dreams but they are dim with shadows and not much light. I find it fascinating that people can internally generate. A plus side to that is they need no external source to have fun. I generate externally so I often get bumps in life where I have nothing to do and this makes me sad. I need to be constantly busy to feel like I am achieving self-actualization. I use the internet all the time because it is the best tool for me to gain ideas. External reference helps me get ideas. If you know about Introverted Intuition I have been into Jungian typology so long that the consensus of the forums I visit is INFJ. (Ni takes everything in the unconscious and converges on abstract insights)(Fe is sensitive to negative and positive affect in people)(Combined Ni and Fe model others unconsciously and thus understand the best communication when encountering others) This is a long comment but I am currently looking into how different ways of thinking affect people. I know you can use this information to expand your understanding of the mental landscape and I think it adds to your video because different ways of thinking is something to learn about if you want to be more intelligent. Great video Jeffery.
TERRIFIC comment! Thank you for sharing those things about yourself and letting us have a sneak peak into your perception of the world. I'm sure many more people can relate to various aspects of what you wrote than you might have believed at one time. Embrace it all and keep moving forward with it.
Very wise. It's good to be wary of these topics, especially with people who will become too emotional or physically violent. It's sad people can't just share ideas for understanding and/or persuasion without there being unnecessary repercussions.
Hi Jeffery,
Do you give personal advice?
Jeff, I'm about to join 999, can you tell me what to do to maximize my membership, in your opinion? Thanks.
Just approach it however you feel most comfortable. I enjoy their publication called Vidya and occasionally pop in to participate with their Facebook group page. All my best!
Just because the truth is incredible, it doesnt mean its not true. True history is incredible, but not false. My very intelligent family members attack me with full vehemence when i try to discuss anything true. I try not to discuss anything with them. Oh no! They throw insults at me for bringing up anything that doesnt jive with their "open-minded" "liberal" belief system. I love reading material that doesnt align with my current belief system. Thats the only way ive learned anything, but the more i learn, the more i alienate myself from everyone living in the matrix.
That's how it works. I'm glad you're not letting it stop you from becoming more knowledgeable and fully human. There's a price to pay but many of us find it to be worth it. Best wishes and I hope you discover your tribe in life.
Jeffery Ford and Jeffery Bezos both look alike.
Congitive dissonance and Dunning-Kruger effect are greatest attributes of people.
Prevents dumb people from being extremly frustrated (and violent).
And helps smart people with low level of error to filter out immediatelly most of people which are not worth to waste breath with.
That way, your videos are not flooded by worhtless comments.
Dumb and useless people consider yourself to be "below their level" and consider it not being worth for them to comment under your videos.,
Ehh szkoda słów. W jaki sposób to ma pomóc?
Perhaps consider Cultural Dissonance through rejection of forms of Mystical Participation. Lots of counter cultural trends rebel against structural inconsistencies in governance, religion and commerce. In particular with context to human life, wellbeing, life on earth, and the environments.
In small glimmerings, most of us realize the sad state of affairs that our individual choices, both conscious and unconscious have lead our species to, our individual lives to . Yet we abide the dissonance through wonderous dreams of a shining future, among the stars or the ignorant bliss of a perfectly packaged and paid-for life.
There's a logic to maintaining a sort of tension between possible worlds when the alternative is to identify and reject Mystical Participation, perhaps at the cost of cultural ties.
The young however have less to lose and from time to time, shed the inconsistencies of their elders, only to create their own perfect prison.
Hello Jeffery, nice vid.
I've noticed that a few geniuses are God believers, which seems illogical to me. Jordan Peterson comes to mind, or Christopher Langan, who has an IQ above 200 and a book in which he claims to demonstrate the existence of God. I haven't read it yet, may be he does demonstrate it, but my skepticism is great. What are your thoughts about this?
Thank you and good altruistic job!
IMHO it is plainly poor form to take question ideas and opinions one has as an attack on oneself. I think it used to be more generally accepted that this is poor form rather than just accepting it.
I believe the question is how those of us who are self aware, know we know nothing and possess a high iq, presume that we can convince those with CD of their CD? Alternately, why should we be bothered by their dissonance and allow ourselves to be affected?
People identify with things and actions they do in this reality. They do that because they dont know who they are or what they are.
Jeffrey, what is the most notable cognitive dissonance you’ve had to deal with personally? Can you walk us through how that played out?
brilliant! subbed
Thank you for the sub and I'm glad you enjoyed it! All my best to you!
Great information. What is your political affiliation? OK I bet you won't answer, but it doesn't mean I won't be curious. Both Democrats and Republicans do bad things. Both do good things. However, if you are loyal to the group, either one, it becomes uncomfortable to acknowledge any short coming the group has, with others in the group to fix it. Once you seek conversation with people who agree with you on one issue, now you, yourself seem to fixed and inflexibly positioned to accept everything else without question. When you do this, the group can be more successful, however, successful to what end?
You're correct. I don't answer questions concerning my political affiliation for the reasons I believe I mentioned in this video.
Anybody told you that you look like Dana White?
When you were given the iq test, were all of your sub test scores over 150?
I hate to sound offensive but does he have a condition of some sort?
How can you call such people intelligent?
I can't qualify such people who have such centrally unintelligent thought patterns as intelligent...
I mean in very young people OK but not people over 30...
They dont have enough opportunities to think in another way
Andy Warhol
People do that at every age, it’s the majority who thinks like that
Oh yes, cognitive dissonance. Like I said: quite sexy.
You have a tattoo :)
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Please go away.
It's interesting that people in the Middle Ages needed that kind of condemnation of knowledge. Because in these harsh wars, epidemics, child death and so on, knowing the harshness of a reality they are ill-equipped to deal with could only harm them and lead them to further destruction. So by creating an universal truth that provided hope for salvation, a reason for the suffering and a sense that the world is just (when reality showed them it was far from it), religion saved these people psychologically. Some want to escape reality through their beliefs nowadays too and I won't pass judgement on them because I've never been in their position. Some use (part of) it as a foundation to their life philosophy. As an atheist, I think Christianity (like all) things isn't good or bad and it's unfair to judge its core ideas from our modern point of view. It's an intriguing phenomenon.
You should have said "stop watching CNN"!
Btw if you ever want to practice debating politics with someone I'm your guy!
Is this a satirical comment?