From a netfriend:

Part of the problem in “finding a way through” is that people tend to make up their own reality as they go, and this “made up” reality protects them from the inconsistencies in their beliefs.

Let me give an example. I live amongst many ex and currently serving military personnel. I’m told that there is “old school” and “new school” military when it comes to attitudes to homosexuality. Amongst the old school military, homosexuality is an absolute “no no”.

When presented with information about the biological determination of sexual orientation, old school military almost invariable present you with a claim that they knew someone who was gay and that this was simply an assumed stance to be trendy. Given the negative reaction to homosexuality amongst old school military, the notion that being homosexual was desirably trendy is a little far-fetched. In addition, the almost standardised wording of this response arouses suspicion. So too does the claim to have such intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the mind of a homosexual person from someone who would run a mile from the presence of such a person lest they be associated with them. I am convinced that this rote-learned response is simply the party line to protect against information that would challenge such a view. It is interesting that those who claim to have known such homosexuals-of-convenience cannot even name them.

New school military is a different matter.

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