Excellent David! I think everyone does this to a greater or lesser degree (across a spectrum, as one would have it). Early on as a youngster, I could see that all the adults and kids around me (including myself) could not live up to Christ's teachings and principals in every respect at all times; hence our fallen nature as sinners. There are many sayings across all cultures that we have to enable us to cope with this, "c'est la vie", "it is what it is", "inshallah". Many instances across history of what you describe. Jews adopting Christianity in Spain during the Inquisition, though continuing to practice Judaism in private; Christians in pagan Rome performing pagan rituals but secretly worshipping Jesus, and etc.
It is a part of maturing into an adult that you need to compromise what you believe publicly to some degree to integrate into society, for some this contradiction is short-circuited in the brain; but most of us do have core beliefs we will stand and fight on. For me, it is my individual liberty, and my faith. I will not be forced to concede or compromise either publicly (i.e. be forced to recite publicly some amoral or bad faith oath/declaration) for expediency. Fortunately in my life to this point, I have not needed to.
Besides skewed election polls and workplace/academic self-censorship, I wonder what other processes have been driven by this. People claiming to like James Joyce’s writing because all the smart people also claim to like it?
A big reason that driving hybrid cars, wearing masks, and other highly visible activities catch on is that you can so easily advertise that you have the “right” preference. Whereas you have a harder time showing off that you drive efficiently or drive less, or that you work hard to keep yourself healthy and thus avoid getting others sick.
I think pretty much all of modern history and life is influenced by preference falsification and its unavoidable twisting into virtue-signaling. And the whole process has been accelerated by the rise of youth culture and youth activism after education by cohort became mandatory all over the world, since youngsters are particularly ill-equipped to deal with this.
I normally take the strategy of being the wacky odd ball kid from down the road. Whenever someone accused me of racism I just say, "all men are NOT created equal"
Unfortunately people also take you less seriously.
Excellent David! I think everyone does this to a greater or lesser degree (across a spectrum, as one would have it). Early on as a youngster, I could see that all the adults and kids around me (including myself) could not live up to Christ's teachings and principals in every respect at all times; hence our fallen nature as sinners. There are many sayings across all cultures that we have to enable us to cope with this, "c'est la vie", "it is what it is", "inshallah". Many instances across history of what you describe. Jews adopting Christianity in Spain during the Inquisition, though continuing to practice Judaism in private; Christians in pagan Rome performing pagan rituals but secretly worshipping Jesus, and etc.
It is a part of maturing into an adult that you need to compromise what you believe publicly to some degree to integrate into society, for some this contradiction is short-circuited in the brain; but most of us do have core beliefs we will stand and fight on. For me, it is my individual liberty, and my faith. I will not be forced to concede or compromise either publicly (i.e. be forced to recite publicly some amoral or bad faith oath/declaration) for expediency. Fortunately in my life to this point, I have not needed to.
The Bradley Effect was all about this phenomenon. It brought it to the broad public's attention.
When you fully grasp its existence and significance is when you truly enter adulthood.
Besides skewed election polls and workplace/academic self-censorship, I wonder what other processes have been driven by this. People claiming to like James Joyce’s writing because all the smart people also claim to like it?
A big reason that driving hybrid cars, wearing masks, and other highly visible activities catch on is that you can so easily advertise that you have the “right” preference. Whereas you have a harder time showing off that you drive efficiently or drive less, or that you work hard to keep yourself healthy and thus avoid getting others sick.
I think pretty much all of modern history and life is influenced by preference falsification and its unavoidable twisting into virtue-signaling. And the whole process has been accelerated by the rise of youth culture and youth activism after education by cohort became mandatory all over the world, since youngsters are particularly ill-equipped to deal with this.
I normally take the strategy of being the wacky odd ball kid from down the road. Whenever someone accused me of racism I just say, "all men are NOT created equal"
Unfortunately people also take you less seriously.
No.
But fashions change.
The term you want is "preference cascade."
Perhaps the clearest example is Romania. It took them a day to go from failing to applaud to execution of their head of state.
It's funny, but we're really always living in 1984.