Breaking the Bubble: How Paradoxical Irony Shapes Our Culture

A Culture of Contradictions

As a result of all-encompassing technological control of communications, we now live in what I call paradoxical irony.

We talk endlessly about cultural divides, rhetoric, vitriol, and violence. We declare “it needs to stop” and sometimes demand we “determine the root causes.” Yet meaningful discussion of those causes rarely happens. The truth is clear, but we avoid it. Open debate and free speech have become the worst enemies of truth.

Understanding Derangement

Popping cultural derangement bubbles is not easy. It requires qualitative, quantitative, philosophical, and even theological methods. Derangement is an acquired state of mind—a disturbance in regular values or functions within culture. It begins innocently, but soon grows in a medium that feeds it.

The Role of Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance, one of the most studied socio-psychological theories, explains much of this. It occurs when people hold conflicting beliefs, values, or behaviors while making a choice. To resolve the discomfort, they either justify the choice or rationalize the non-choice.

A student may lie to protect a friend, or an accountant may lie to a board at a CFO’s direction. Once the choice is made, the person must justify it to eliminate the dissonance.

This happens not just individually but culturally. That’s why cognitive dissonance shows up in advertising, campaigns, and warfare.

From Bias to Illusion

To silence internal conflict, people turn to confirmation bias—seeking only information that supports their choice. From there comes the Illusory Truth Effect—repeating falsehoods until they are accepted as reality. Over time, this creates implicit memory, where misinformation replaces conscious memory.

At the cultural level, this leads to pluralistic ignorance, also called collective illusion, reinforced by social-desirability bias. People convince themselves that most others agree, or they fear rejection if they dissent. They feel trapped in quicksand, believing escape would destroy their identity.

The Nature of Paradox and Irony

A paradox is a self-contradictory statement that may still contain truth. Irony occurs when meaning differs from reality—whether verbal (“clear as mud”) or dramatic (Romeo and Juliet’s tragic ending).

This is where paradoxical irony emerges: people remain trapped in deranged cultural bubbles, accepting contradictory positions because rejecting them feels impossible.

A Real-World Example: Sen. Mazie Hirono

While writing this, an example arose in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a strong supporter of transgender ideology and inclusion in female sports, questioned FBI Director Kash Patel about pull-up requirements for female agents. She argued that “physiological differences” made the requirement unfair.

The paradox? She invoked physiological differences to support women in law enforcement, while elsewhere denying those same differences in sports. The irony? Her position contradicted her own ideology.

Can the Bubble Be Popped?

Yes—but only through reality-checking, open debate, and true free speech. Until then, paradoxical irony will keep trapping individuals, communities, and cultures in illusions that mask the truth.