When Prophecy Fails and Cognitive Dissonance

What do Stranger Things conspiracy theories, failed prophecies, and religious history have in common? A deep human struggle to face disappointment without rewriting reality.

After the finale, many Stranger Things fans convinced themselves a secret ninth episode was hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Lee and Savannah use “Conformity Gate” as a surprisingly rich case study in how humans respond to disappointment and unmet expectations. From the Great Disappointment of 1844 to classic research on cognitive dissonance, we explore why people so often reinterpret failure instead of accepting it.

Things we mentioned in this episode:

⁠ When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, Stanley Schachter⁠

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