Quick definition for those who don't know: Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person's behavior and beliefs do not complement each other or when they hold two contradictory beliefs.
Story time! Please read this in it's entirety as there is important context as well as an actual point.
I have been spending some time with the in-laws over the past couple of weeks, because reasons. They are an immigrant family, but have been in the US since the tail end of the Vietnam war. All hold US citizenship and it's a large family.
Politics has cone up occasionally, but for the most part, we tend to steer away from those discussions when we mistakenly bring them up in conversation. Strangely enough, some are actually Trump supporters but I wouldn't go so far as to say anyone is full-blown "MAGA" or anything. I would describe the support as mild and truly ignorant of broader level politics.
So, there was some discussion about how immigrants needed to be kicked out of the US and there was support for mass deportations. Another conversation was about how "everyone"abused food stamps and welfare, but within about 10 mins, the discussion flipped to what products another person in the family could buy with their EBT card. Medicare and Medicaid is also a waste of the countries money, but then later there was a discussion about how to use those benefits for another family member.
Politics aside, cognitive dissonance is a bitch to deal with, especially when it's coupled with anecdotal evidence that may not even be real. I suspect that any experience with other "immigrants" I heard over the last couple of weeks are likely the result of a single, heavily biased experience coupled with gossip. (The gossip may create false memories of a situation the person believes is true. I think there is a special name for that.)
Telling a person bluntly that they are wrong is usually counter productive. Calling out the contradictions in beliefs can also be strangely unproductive as well. When a valid argument is made and a person realizes they can't resolve a conflicting belief, the tendency seems to be to fall back on a generic phrase like, "Well, I don't fully understand it, but that person must know what they are doing.", or something similar.
Provided that you actually give a shit, how do you go about cracking the shell of someone that has fallen victim to this kind of thing?
Block them in phone, email, and any social media, stop talking to them, and do my goddamndest to stop thinking about them as well.
That is probably a last resort and we are far from that point. The way I see it, the root cause is fairly basic ignorance that has been allowed to fester for a bit too long. If they were all-out MAGA, I would say it is willful stupidity and would write them off fairly quick. Otherwise, I am not so quick to toss family out with the rest of the trash. Ignorance can be fixed but stupidity usually can't.
The problem is that ignorance is a decision more often than not. If someone is already at an inflection point and open to making changes - and to your input specifically - then it’s best to try to help them expand their experience. Information alone often isn’t enough, they need lived experience. If you are in such a position with your family member, you are in a better position than most. But if they are already compartmentalizing then you may have to accept that you have very little sway. A person always makes up their own mind, one way or another.