Cognitive dissonance can be fairly painful

Cognitive dissonance certainly seems to be manifesting in the District of Columbia - from The Washington Post:

Psychologists and massage therapists are reporting ‘Trump anxiety’ among clients
To the catalogue of anxieties her patients explore during therapy — marriage, children, and careers — psychologist Alison Howard is now listening to a new source of stress: the political rise of Donald Trump.

In recent days, at least two patients have invoked the Republican front-runner, including one who talked at length about being disturbed that Trump can be so divisive and popular at the same time, said Howard, who practices in the District.

Spend so much time surrounded by your groupthink peers and when a contradictory idea comes in from the outside, it can hurt. The link to groupthink is a fascinating read - here are the eight symptoms:

Type I: Overestimations of the group — its power and morality

1. 1. Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.
   2. Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.

Type II: Closed-mindedness

1. 1. Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.
   2. Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, impotent, or stupid.

Type III: Pressures toward uniformity

1. 1. Self-censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
   2. Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.
   3. Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty"
   4. Mindguards— self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.

Pretty much describes the thinking process of the entire entrenched political system. Time to divert the Potomac and flush the whole place out. Start over.