Cognitive Distortion and Political Correctness: Unraveling the Implications of Safetyism

This dissertation offered insights into the repercussions of safetyism within societies shaped by cognitive distortions and political correctness. Safetyism, which prioritized emotional safety over intellectual liberty and a multitude of viewpoints, contributed to heightened vulnerability among individuals. Protecting individuals from provocative ideas weakened resilience and hindered personal growth. Furthermore, safetyism frequently led to the suppression of contentious views to evade discomfort, thus curtailing freedom of expression and hampering intellectual progress. Societal environments dominated by safetyism were prone to favoring conformity at the expense of critical thinking, thereby quashing innovation and the spirit of independent reasoning. Grasping the impact of safetyism on individual fragility, censorship, and societal division was crucial for fostering an environment conducive to progressive thinking and creativity. Diversity in thought and open discourse could be possible by recognizing the limitations of an excessively cautious culture and striving for a balanced approach that marries psychological well-being with the fundamental principles of intellectual freedom. The research methodology was based on a qualitative approach using grounded theory to explore the complex social phenomenon of safetyism. This involved analyzing various qualitative sources such as books, articles, podcasts, and electronic database analyses to generate anecdotal evidence. Grounded theory was used to systematically organize emerging themes, combining deductive and inductive reasoning to ensure the resultant theories were firmly rooted in the data. The hypothesized themes were fragility, censorship, and social fragmentation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]