Talk:Cognitive dissonance
"Most people do not have a problem with you thinking for yourself, as long as your conclusions are the same as or at least compatible with their beliefs." Mokokoma Mokhonoana
How can people observe the same events and come to opposing conclusions about what is happening, their significance and their likely effect?
It could be because of inadequate observation, ignorance of how things work, or it could be cognitive dissonance. All of these have to do with the eye of the beholder.
The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. This conflict causes feelings of uneasiness, discomfort or even pain because of mental stress, through which high levels of dissonance put us at at risk for anxiety and depression disorders.
Because our mind and body are an interdependent these conflicts can also contribute to physical illness.
Developed in the 1950s by American social psychologist, Leon Festinger.
"Cognitive dissonance, the mental conflict that occurs when beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information. The unease or tension that the conflict arouses in people is relieved by one of several defensive maneuvers: they reject, explain away, or avoid the new information; persuade themselves that no conflict really exists; reconcile the differences; or resort to any other defensive means of preserving stability or order in their conceptions of the world and of themselves." [1]
The conflict divides the mind and conquers the soul, "one part of them knows the truth but another part of them is so invested in seeing things a different way that they don't allow themselves to see reality."
Dorothy Martin receiving messages the Planet Clarion predicted on Dec 21, 1957 the world will be destroyed and some will be saved by flying saucers. When it did mot happen they wanted to get the story out that they had saved the planet through their faith. The suggested the need not to face the pain of the uncomfortable truth was overcome by the desire to 'make minds comfortable' - to rationalize the inconsistencies.
The one dollar lie. Vs $20 Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959 Lied but was well paid.
Chinese used this in brainwashing Americans.
'not worth the candle' the seal of guilt.
"Emotional reasoning is the cognitive distortion that happens when we try to justify our emotional reactions using a neat narrative that seems to fit our value system or ideology"
People justify violence (even killing) by demonizing and dehumanizing their victim. Dr.Drew Westen PhD, at Emory University in Atlanta
Did MRIs scans of the brains of staunch Democrats and staunch Republicans and found a decrease in activity in the reasoning part of the brain when they read this damning information about their favorite politician.
cognitive dissonance stimulates the brain to think less.
When there is a discrepancy between your beliefs and your behaviour we compensate.
But learning to love being wrong may be the first painful step towards real self-knowledge.
the 'self-esteem industry' encourages people to seek relief from cognitive dissonance through rationalization.
Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress experienced by an individual who wants to believe a lie is the truth. http://preparingyou.com/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance