Ideas and attachment to ideas has a much more psychological foundation than some of us rational types here care to admit. Even in the simplest exchanges here on Fluther we can see it in the exchanges of otherwise quite intelligent people devolve into inanity. At a distance it seems silly until of course you’re locking horns yourself.
I think it has to do with cognitive dissonance.
I remember as a teacher of grade school children having caught a young man in an act of some sort or another against another student. When he turned around I was literally feet away from him and staring at him and asking why he did it. He immediately set about denying it and basically saying he didn’t and when I assured him that I was staring directly at him when he did it he continued to deny it. After about 5 minutes of direct confronation he eventually just broke down and started crying his eyes out. I of course assured him that everything would be okay but you can’t throw things at, hit or attack another student. But it was a powerful lesson to me how primal it can be to be “in the wrong”, outside of the group or if one’s very nature is in question. In this case he wasn’t truly a bad boy of course but the shame he felt was overwhelming. And it made absolutely no sense logically considering that the offense would carry no serious punishment.
“A powerful cause of dissonance is an idea in conflict with a fundamental element of the self-concept, such as “I am a good person” or “I made the right decision”. The anxiety that comes with the possibility of having made a bad decision can lead to rationalization, the tendency to create additional reasons or justifications to support one’s choices.”
~Wikipedia
I think that we often discount how powerful this anxiety is and how strange a disconnect in self concept arises when new information is truly embraced. I think we need to honor those who are willing to be admit wrong or fault much more than we do in society. Even in this there there can be again a shaming! Like “oh how pathetic”, “look at the groveling”, “the meek and the repentant one”. And rightfully so at times since this is a PR move quite often with no real sincerity. But if we ever imagine that people are to adapt new ideas we have to allow for space to change. We tend to reward those who convince us in a “legalistic sense” regardless of the truth and treat “the mistaken or the wrong” as a disease to be avoided at all costs. But those who admit error should be honored in changing their mind and thus allowing others similar lenience. These are trailblazers and bridge-makers. Admitting defeat, error, culpability would then be among the highest ideals and not as something to be cleverly avoided. Maybe when we smooth this road and approach different opinions with a more cool objectivity devoid of charged emotions it will be more common.