We like to think that we are individuals, that we are rational, heuristic and logical. We like to believe that we weigh up evidence and make choices based on sound factual choices.
Unfortunately this is not how human beings work – particularly at this time when life is so complicated that not one single human being, no matter how clever, can possibly understand what is going on in the world. We are all semi-experts in a number of aspects and masters of none.
The reality is that humans are not rational; we are emotional. We buy into a view based on our gut feeling.
Having made that choice we then live in a bubble. We surround ourselves with like-minded people, tune in to news that reinforces our views, read books and interact with information that reflects our views and become more and more convinced of our position because our ‘group’ all thinks alike.
This ‘Groupthink’ is how all human beings operate.
Because these choices are not rational it is extremely hard to change anybody’s mind with ‘facts’. They have already chosen the ‘facts’ they are willing to believe. They search for evidence to support their emotional view and reject any ‘facts’ that do not support their group.
Hence we end up with Trumpists, Environmentalists, QAnon, Democrats, Republicans and all manner of conspiracy theory believers and cultists.
Thus we have newspapers and news channels, websites and internet propaganda, that feed their selected groups with the things they want to hear.
Groupthink is impervious to rationality.
Nobody is immune to Groupthink.