It is rare that any change or shift in worldview comes without discomfort and Cognitive Dissonance. Cognitive Dissonance is more than just discomfort and, invokes a threat to identity, belonging and worldview.

Cognitive Dissonance was first explained by Leon Festinger. Festinger (1919-1989) is a pioneer in Social Psychology. You can see a video explaining Cognitive Dissonance here: New Video Explains Cognitive Dissonance and Safety

Once one has been indoctrinated into a certain worldview (usually first exposure to an idea) it becomes extremely difficult to change. This is why the Safety industry locks in beliefs, values and myths about linear causality, root cause and Behaviourism through curriculum and the AIHS Body of Knowledge. Once these are set in place any alternative must be deemed unorthodox or anti-safety. This aligns well with anchoring any identity in belief to any system. It is the fundamental dynamic of religion.

In SPoR, we never offer any criticism of Safety without a positive, constructive, tested and practical alternative that works (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/it-works-a-new-approach-to-risk-and-safety-book-for-free-download/). The alternatives of SPoR that work, are offered against many of the myths of Safety that don’t work. For example, incidents and events are never linear, Reason’s swiss-cheese is a myth (https://safetyrisk.net/faith-in-reason-and-unreasoned-faith-as-safety-myth/). Similarly, there is on ‘root cause’ (https://safetyrisk.net/there-is-no-root-cause/), it’s a myth.

All that these myths do (https://safetyrisk.net/risk/) is send Safety down a rabbit hole to a self-made construction that has no reflection on reality. And it doesn’t matter if one can prove that linear and root cause are wrong and harmful. It doesn’t matter if a lawyer demonstrates conclusively that paperwork doesn’t work (https://safetyrisk.net/paper-safe/).  Safety continues to peddle its myths because they have been secured over time like all myths – by ritual, systems and semiotics that make them unquestionable. Indeed, questioning anything in safety is deemed anti-safety. This is how belief works. This is how all cults work. This is why Safety keeps multiplying the myth of paperwork in the belief that paperwork and injury rates are the meaning of safety. When belief against all the evidence is this strong one has entered a cult. How does this work?

Take for example the Cult of Trump. It doesn’t matter what unethical or immoral conduct Trump enacts he is portrayed as the Messiah (https://www.amazon.com.au/President-Donald-Trump-Son-Man/dp/1977249752). And, it doesn’t even bother his evangelical base that any proclamation is clearly blasphemy (https://time.com/6269313/trump-jesus-comparisons-blasphemy/). It doesn’t matter what dozens of women say or, past employees (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/24/who-is-michael-cohen-former-trump-lawyer-fraud-trial-witness) or what the courts say. Once anchored in belief to a cult that provides belonging, identity and meaning, Cognitive Dissonance sets in. It eventually becomes too painful to back out because the alternative has been indoctrinated as worse.

Belief is not about rationality or logic. We see the same in Safety beliefs about zero (https://safetyrisk.net/the-safety-belief-system/) despite all the evidence and sense that makes it clear that zero is unattainable and doesn’t work.

When a person believes they are Safety (https://safetyrisk.net/you-are-not-the-sum-of-safety/), and anchor their identity to safety then, any criticism of Safety is deemed criticism of them. When one believes that they ‘save lives’ (https://safetyrisk.net/safety-people-dont-save-lives/) they are given a ‘messiah complex’ that launches them on the pathway to being a cult (https://safetyrisk.net/understanding-cults-and-safety-zero/).

The best way to shift false beliefs and delusions is through confrontation, by putting the other in Cognitive Dissonance. Once in Cognitive Dissonance, one has the opportunity to review a belief of more deeply bury oneself in a belief. Without this, there is simply no opportunity for change.

Belief is not anchored to logic or rationality. Belief is an act of faith. Faith doesn’t need any evidence to believe something. Once the belief is in place eg. Linear incident causality or root cause, one then goes about framing the world by that view and finds confirming evidence to more deeply concrete it in place. This is why all the popular selling incident investigations products sell so well. Sell to the belief and ‘thou shalt be saved’ or, more appropriately; sell to the belief and watch your savings grow.

The strategy of Cognitive Dissonance doesn’t convert many. Most simply dig deeper down and resist change. Afterall, ‘just believe’ is the mantra for Safety as Zero (https://safetyrisk.net/no-alcohol-for-the-true-believers/). Once the belief is in place, its easy to drink the cool aide and believe the impossible (https://safetyrisk.net/believe-the-impossible-and-speak-nonsense-to-people/). Afterall, that is what the cult tells you to do.

For those who do step out of the safety cult and experience a better more positive and practical way of tackling risk, there is no turning back. Then like many, wish they had done so 30 years ago. This is what the alternative in SPoR offers (https://safetyrisk.net/what-is-spor/). If this is of interest: