Disconfirming evidence can strengthen rather than weaken committed beliefs.

Evidence

Suppose an individual believes something with his whole heart … suppose that he is then presented with unequivocal and undeniable evidence that his belief is wrong: what will happen? The individual will frequently emerge, not only unshaken, but even more convinced of the truth of his beliefs than ever before. Indeed, he may even show a new fervor about convincing and converting people. … This profound insight, that confrontation with contrary evidence may actually augment and sharpen the conviction and enthusiasm of a true believer, was explained as a response to the cognitive dissonance evoked by a disconfirmation of strongly held beliefs. — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 97

Categorization

• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 97
• XREF: connects to: Confrontation with contrary evidence can intensify rather than weaken firm belief. — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 97; Presenting disconfirming evidence to partisans strengthens rather than weakens their views — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 132; Even disconfirmation evidence often fails to break a person’s confirmation bias — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 94 (+22 more)

Broader Connections

• Confrontation with contrary evidence can intensify rather than weaken firm belief. #corroborates (0.98) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 97
• Presenting disconfirming evidence to partisans strengthens rather than weakens their views #corroborates (0.96) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 132
• Disconfirming evidence rarely topples deeply held doctrines and worldviews. #corroborates (0.92) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 94
• Correcting false beliefs can strengthen them rather than reduce them #corroborates (0.90) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 350
• Belief systems reject disconfirming evidence rather than revising theories #corroborates (0.88)
• Cognitive dissonance strengthens rather than weakens false beliefs under contrary evidence #corroborates (0.88) — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 1798
• Belief systems respond to contrary evidence by discounting the evidence #corroborates (0.85)
• Weak suppression evidence reinforces rather than weakens conspiracy belief. #exemplifies (0.84) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 433
• Even disconfirmation evidence often fails to break a person’s confirmation bias #corroborates (0.82) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 94
• People often resist or reverse belief updating rather than tracking evidence #corroborates (0.82) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 104
• Confirmation bias and inertia make reputations resistant to disconfirming evidence #corroborates (0.80)
• Belief perseverance persists even when evidence establishing it is shown false #corroborates (0.78) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2586