0026 Why We Lie to Ourselves: Understanding Cognitive Dissonance

Truth N Trends

Have you ever noticed yourself making excuses for a bad decision, or changing your beliefs to match your actions? That's Cognitive Dissonance in action – the uncomfortable mental stress we feel when our beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors clash. Welcome to Truth N Trends! Join us as we explore this powerful psychological phenomenon, uncovering why our brains strive for consistency and the often surprising ways we resolve inner conflict to feel better about ourselves.

Transcript

00:00Bhutan Trends. Today Sonia and I are diving into a fascinating aspect of human psychology

00:13that explains a lot about why we act the way we do. Cognitive dissonance.

00:19Sonia have you ever found yourself trying to justify a decision you knew wasn't the best?

00:23Oh absolutely Deepak. It's that uneasy feeling when your actions don't quite align with your

00:29beliefs or when you hold two conflicting ideas at the same time. It's truly a mental gymnastics

00:35routine. Our brains perform. That discomfort is precisely what cognitive dissonance is.

00:41It's the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds contradictory beliefs,

00:46values or attitudes or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing

00:51beliefs. Our brains naturally seek consistency so this dissonance feels unpleasant. So to reduce

00:59this unpleasant feeling, our brains try to find ways to make things consistent. It's like our

01:05minds are trying to tidy up a messy room of thoughts. There are three main ways we resolve cognitive

01:10dissonance. One is by changing our beliefs. For example if you believe smoking is bad but you smoke,

01:17you might change your belief to smoking isn't that bad. Or you could change your behavior. In the smoking

01:24example, you simply quit smoking to align your actions with your belief that it's harmful.

01:30That's probably the healthiest approach. It is. And the third way is to add new cognitions or

01:35justifications that bridge the gap. For instance, if you bought an expensive item you didn't need,

01:41you might convince yourself, it was on sale and I deserve it after a hard week.

01:47This adds a new layer of reasoning that makes the purchase feel justified.

01:52This is why post-decision dissonance is so common. After making a big purchase, people often seek out

01:58positive reviews for what they bought or downplay the negatives just to feel better about their choice.

02:04Exactly. It's a form of self-justification. It's not about being illogical. It's about maintaining a

02:10positive self-image and reducing psychological tension. I've seen how people cling to their initial

02:16beliefs, even when presented with strong evidence to the contrary, just to avoid that uncomfortable

02:21feeling of dissonance. It highlights how powerful our need for internal consistency truly is.

02:27So how can understanding cognitive dissonance help us in daily life?

02:31Awareness is the first step. When you feel that discomfort, recognize it as dissonance.

02:37Then instead of automatically justifying, pause and reflect. Ask yourself, is there a healthier way

02:43to resolve this? Can I change my behavior or genuinely reconsider my belief, rather than just

02:48rationalizing? This mindful approach can lead to better decisions and less internal conflict.

02:55That's excellent advice. It enables us to be more critical thinkers and less prone to self-deception.

03:00Understanding cognitive dissonance helps us navigate our thoughts and actions with greater clarity

03:05and integrity. It's a key to understanding why we sometimes lie to ourselves and how we can achieve

03:11greater mental harmony. We hope this explanation gives you a clearer picture of your inner workings.

03:17If you found this psychological insight valuable, please give this video a thumbs up,

03:22share it to help others understand their minds and subscribe to Truth and Trends for more fascinating facts.

03:29Thank you for watching. Until next time, be true to yourself.

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