Cognitive Dissonance Explained

How we feel uncomfortable all the time — and how that is mostly okay.

When we become aware of inconsistencies between our explicit attitudes and other information — be it our own behavior or facts that are new to us — we perceive an uncomfortable feeling. In 1957, American social psychologist Leon Festinger (1919–1989) named this feeling cognitive dissonance — which to this day remains one of the most significant aspects of social psychology.

Since we want to get rid of the discomfortable feeling, cognitive dissonance makes us rethink our explicit attitudes. Did we make a mistake in our thinking and should we adjust our explicit attitudes, or are the new facts not actual facts? Or perhaps it’s a bit of both? Whatever the outcome, by responding to the inconsistencies, we might well be addressing an issue that could have become a real problem if left unattended. Despite the somewhat negative-sounding word dissonance, cognitive dissonance is usually a good thing that helps us adapt to — and survive — the changing world around us.

Sometimes, cognitive dissonance leads to less desirable thinking and behavior. For instance, when we receive new information that doesn’t rhyme with our explicit attitude, but we persist in maintaining that attitude against all better judgment. If your explicit attitude…