Difference between revisions of "Cognitive dissonance"

Revision as of 22:41, September 26, 2008

Cognitive dissonance is the psychological concept of rationalizing two opposing concepts at once. Cognitive dissonance explains how people can justify their apparently contradicting actions or beliefs despite them being completely illogical.

Examples:

• Opposing the death penalty (for convicted criminals) while simultaneously supporting abortion (killing the innocent)
• Purporting to be a devout Christian while simultaneously being 100% behind evolution and dismissing creationism and intelligent design
• Claiming Global Warming is man-made and admonishing others for "not doing their part" while being hypocritically wasteful
• Railing against America and its government while simultaneously living in the country and reaping all the benefits of freedom and capitalism

George Orwell famously discussed cognitive dissonance in his novel 1984, using the term doublethink.