Cognitive Dissonance
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Cognitive dissonance is the term coined by
psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954 to describe “the
feeling of psychological discomfort produced by the
combined presence of two thoughts that do not
follow from one another."
The greater the discomfort, the greater the desire to
reduce the dissonance of the two cognitive
elements.
Dissonance theory suggests that if individuals act in
ways that contradict their beliefs, then they typically
will change their beliefs to align with their actions
(or vice-a-versa).
The Fox and the Grapes
ONE hot summer’s day a Fox was
strolling through an orchard till he came to
a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine
which had been trained over a lofty
branch. “Just the things to quench my
thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few
paces, he took a run and a jump, and just
missed the bunch. Turning round again
with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but
with no greater success. Again and again
he tried after the tempting morsel, but at
last had to give it up, and walked away
with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure
they are sour.”
“IT IS EASY TO DESPISE WHAT
YOU CANNOT GET.”
Aesop's Fables
The fox is unable to reach the grapes, and,
experiencing cognitive dissonance, reduces that
dissonance by believing the grapes are sour. This
example follows a pattern: one desires
something, finds it unattainable, and reduces
one's dissonance by criticizing it.
Stop Smoking!
Another example can be seen in
many people’s continuing to smoke
two or three packs of cigarettes a
day, even though research shows
they are shortening their own lives.
They answer this cognitive
dissonance with thoughts like, “Well,
I’ve tried to quit and it’s just too
hard,” or “It’s not as bad as they say
and besides, I really enjoy smoking.”
Daily smokers justify their behaviors
through rationalizations or denial,
just as most people do when faced
with cognitive dissonance.
Not everyone feels cognitive
dissonance to the same degree.
People with a higher need for
consistency and certainty in their
lives usually feel the effects of
cognitive dissonance more than
those who have a lesser need for
such consistency.
Cognitive-dissonance is just one of many biases
that work in our everyday lives.
We don’t like to believe that we may be wrong, so we may limit
our intake of new information or thinking about things in ways that
don’t fit within our pre-existing beliefs. Psychologists call this
“confirmation bias.”
We also don’t like to second-guess our choices, even if later they
are proven wrong or unwise. By second-guessing ourselves, we
suggest we may not be as wise or as right as we’ve led ourselves
to believe. This may lead us to commit to a particular course of
action and become insensitive to and reject alternative, perhaps
better, courses that come to light. That’s why many people seek to
avoid or minimize regret in their lives, and seek “closure” —
imposing a definitive end to an event or relationship. It reduces
the possibility of future cognitive dissonance.
So what can I do about Cognitive
Dissonance?
Self-awareness seems to be a key to
understanding how and when cognitive
dissonance may play a role in your life.
If you find yourself justifying or
rationalizing decisions or behaviors that
you’re not quite clear you firmly believe
in, that might be a sign that cognitive
dissonance is at work. If your
explanation for something is, “Well,
that’s the way I’ve always done it or
thought about it,” that may also be a
sign. Socrates extolled that “An
unexamined life is not worth living.” In
other words, challenge and be skeptical
of such answers if you find yourself
falling back on them.