Copying others’ opinions rather than criticizing them yields contradictory compartmentalized beliefs

Evidence

To the extent that we copy other people’s opinions, rather than critically evaluate them and decide for ourselves, we can end up believing a lot of contradictory ideas. Our heads can become depositories for slogans, conventional wisdom, ”well-established facts,” things that “They say …” and religious quotations, each kept in its own compartment (like my teaching department and research department), and pulled out as the situation demands. These beliefs can be antithetical, but as long as our thinking remains highly compartmentalized, we shall probably not notice. — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 1209

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces compartmentalization as the cognitive mechanism that hides contradictory beliefs from the believer.
• XREF: connects to: Medieval copyists reproduced contradictory views without vouching for them; People readily hold mutually contradictory conspiracy beliefs simultaneously. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 94; Copying authorities breeds inconsistent beliefs because convictions go unchecked — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology: Key Readings, 999 (+2 more)