Have you ever wondered why you insist on maintaining habits that you know are harmful? Or because, despite believing in something, you act in the opposite way? The answer lies in a fascinating concept in psychology called Cognitive Dissonance (DC)which describes the internal discomfort generated when our thoughts conflict or when our actions do not correspond to what we believe is right.
Introduced by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1957, this phenomenon explains, for example, why a person who knows that smoking is harmful to health continues to smoke. It’s not just a lack of willpower; the brain, in an attempt to preserve internal coherence, resorts to strategies to justify behavior, such as:
- Modify the belief: “Perhaps the harms of tobacco are exaggerated.”
- Add a new justifying belief: “Smoking helps reduce stress, which is also important for your health.”
- Reduce the importance of conflict: “We all die of something, smoking won’t make a big difference.”
- Change behavior: Choose to stop smoking and align action with belief.
This phenomenon is not limited to health issues. It’s common in everyday life, from justifying impulse purchases to accepting contradictory decisions in relationships or work. THE Cognitive Dissonance It is a cerebral strategy to avoid the tension generated by contradiction, but it can also be a catalyst for positive change.
Experts point out that, although uncomfortable, CD can motivate us to align actions with values, promoting personal growth. The important thing is to recognize when we are rationalizing behaviors and use that discomfort as a springboard to improve.
Want to explore more about this concept? Discover how influences decisions and the impact it has on our lives.
And you, have you felt the pressure of this phenomenon? Maybe it’s time to listen to what your inner discomfort has to say.
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