Self-awareness plays a key role in understanding how and when cognitive dissonance is active in our lives. When we find ourselves justifying or rationalizing decisions or behaviors that we're not quite sure about, it can be a sign that psychological dissonance and conflict are at play. Cognitive dissonance is an internal tool for developing self-awareness. To live our lives with purpose, clarity and passion, we need these tools to understand when we lose sight of our inner compass.
Talking to a coach can help you develop self-awareness and understand the source of your cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance may be due to feeling compelled to do something, when learning new information, or when faced with a decision between two similar options. Here's what you should do to reduce and reconcile cognitive dissonance in your life. The uncomfortable feeling you feel when you think about where food comes from is a well-documented example of cognitive dissonance.
Noulas says that successes in women's rights, environmental rights and the reduction of child marriages are examples of positive changes that have been the result of cognitive dissonance. Learning what cognitive dissonance is, why it's so powerful, and how managing it can get you back to taking charge. This type of incongruity called cognitive dissonance can cause serious mental distress. To explain this phenomenon, psychologist Leon Festinger presented the idea of cognitive dissonance.
Since it's unlikely that any of us can completely avoid cognitive dissonance, it's important to detect and resolve or reduce it. Cognitive dissonance can interfere with their perceptions of themselves and their abilities, which is why it can often be so uncomfortable and unpleasant. When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, and opinions), people take steps to reduce dissonance and feelings of discomfort. Sometimes, the ways in which people resolve cognitive dissonance contribute to unhealthy behaviors or poor choices.
The results of the present study suggest that the application of the theory of self-reflection could be useful in some contexts in which theories of cognitive dissonance and self-perception are not well positioned to explain the effect of choice or behavior on the self. The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe mental distress that results from having two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.
