Antiprocess is the preemptive recognition and marginalization of undesired information by the interplay of mental

defense mechanism In psychoanalytic theory, defence mechanisms are unconscious psychological processes that protect the self from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and external stressors. According to this theory, healthy ...

s: the

subconscious In psychology, the subconscious is the part of the mind that is not currently of focal awareness. The term was already popularized in the early 20th century in areas ranging from psychology, religion and spirituality. The concept was heavily popu ...

compromises information that would cause

cognitive dissonance In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as a mental phenomenon in which people unknowingly hold fundamentally conflicting cognitions. Being confronted by situations that challenge this dissonance may ultimately result in some ...

. It is often used to describe a difficulty encountered when people with sharply contrasting viewpoints are attempting (and failing) to discuss a topic. In other words, when one is

debating Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...

with another, there may be a baffling disconnect despite one's apparent understanding of the argument. Despite the apparently sufficient understanding to formulate counter-arguments, the mind of the debater does not allow him to be swayed by that knowledge. There are many instances on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

where antiprocess can be observed, but the prime location to see it is in

Usenet Usenet (), a portmanteau of User's Network, is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose UUCP, Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Elli ...

discussion groups, where discussions tend to be highly polarized. In such debates, both sides appear to have a highly sophisticated understanding of the other position, yet neither side is swayed. As a result, the debate can continue for years without any progress being made.

Dynamics

Antiprocess occurs because: # The mind is capable of multitasking; # The mind has the innate capability to evaluate and select information at a preconscious level so that we are not overwhelmed with the processing requirements; # It is not feasible to maintain two contradictory beliefs at the same time; # It is not possible for people to be aware of every factor leading up to decisions they make; # People learn argumentatively effective but logically invalid defensive strategies (such as

rhetorical Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse (trivium) along with grammar and logic/dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or writ ...

fallacies); # People tend to favour strategies of thinking that have served them well in the past; and # The truth is just too unpalatable to the mind to accept. The ramifications of these factors are that people can be engaged in a debate sincerely, yet the appearances suggest that they are not. This can lead to acrimony if neither party is aware of antiprocess and does not adjust his or her debating style accordingly.

References

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External links

Introduction to Antiprocess
Cognitive dissonance Defence mechanisms

Dynamics

See also

References

External links