As
humans, we seek consistency in our actions and beliefs. Sometimes, we do
things or think things that are totally contrary to our values or
beliefs. Recognizing a contradiction can be difficult and even stressful depending
on the severity of the importance of the contradicted
beliefs or values to you. Cognitive dissonance is the feeling of tension
or discomfort that you feel as a result.
Cognitive
dissonance is when two opposing thoughts are present or your
behavior conflicts with your beliefs. You may feel uncomfortable. If you are
like most people, the dissonance is a feeling that you have to overcome. It’s
something you have to do, even though it is uncomfortable. Take help from the Best psychologist in India and learn ways to tackle your cognitive dissonance.
Examples
of Cognitive Dissonance
People
who smoke are common victims of cognitive dissonance. They are aware
that smoking can cause cancer. But they continue to smoke despite its harmful
effects on their health. Every day is full of dissonance. Dissonance
can be present in any decision you make. The dissonance that we experience
every day is often insignificant enough to be reduced automatically, sometimes
without even realizing it. When beliefs or actions that are important to
you conflict with your values and beliefs, you feel more psychological discomfort in the form of anger, stress, and
irritability.
How
to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance
You
must make changes to restore balance if you don’t want to live in
dissonance. Experts and top psychologists in India recognize different methods
to reduce cognitive dissonance.
1. Mindfulness. We often deal with cognitive inconsistencies while not being
aware. First, notice the inconsistencies between your
thoughts. Mindfulness practice can help us increase our
awareness. Mindfulness practice can help us to be more open to our
observations and not judge.
2. Question
your current beliefs. Next, identify the root cause of our
inconsistencies. It is possible to gain deeper self-knowledge by
understanding your beliefs and values that are behind
inconsistencies. Sometimes it can be helpful to question our
beliefs. This can be uncomfortable and difficult.
3. Make
a change in your beliefs. We are constantly changing our
perception of “how things are”. Our minds constantly filter
out contradicting information to support our beliefs. A person who smokes
might look for scientific evidence that suggests smoking doesn’t cause cancer
and may believe it. They will experience less dissonance if they carry on
their smoking habits. Changing these belief systems can help you achieve that.
4. Be
true to yourself and your beliefs. This is an
example of someone who spends too much money. Someone who spends money
recklessly might think that it’s okay to throw their money away. In an
effort to justify their risky behavior, they might say “you never know
when it will end.” Being true to oneself can be helpful in self-awareness
and changing habits that can be conflicting based on your value system.
5. Change
your behavior. One method to lessen cognitive
dissonance is to make changes in behavior. After a few drinks, a person
who drinks and drives may choose to stop. Or, they might decide to hire a
taxi. Cognitive dissonance can be relieved by changing either one of these
behaviors. It will bring their actions in line with what they know about the
dangers associated with drinking and driving.
Cognitive
Dissonance in Relationships
Our
relationships can also be affected by cognitive dissonance. The way we deal with it
and how we handle it frequently can have a positive or negative impact on our
relationships. Most relationships are
built around shared beliefs, values, and attitudes. We perceive dissonance
when our friends and partners act in a way that is not compatible with our
values and beliefs. We can use our Coping Mechanisms to justify our
friends’ or partners’ behavior and our relationship with them, trivialize their
behavior or make it more important, and try to change their behavior or our own
behavior.
This
gives us the opportunity to talk about our differences, deepen our
relationship, and re-align our values. Negative behavior can be justified
or trivialized, or the relationship may end. Important values are hotspots
of cognitive dissonance in romantic relationships. They often center on major
decisions such as having children, lifestyle choices (e.g. buying a house or
traveling the world), and other issues that affect family and friends.
Romantic
relationships can also be influenced by the expectation that family members
will share common values and beliefs. These expectations may not be
compatible and we might need to justify our relationship or end
it. Cognitive dissonance can lead to toxic relationships and even worse
behavior. Get help from the best Online
Marriage Counselors at TalktoAngel No 1 Online Counselling
& Therapy Platform in India & Asia Pacific.
How
Online counseling can be helpful?
Online therapy can help people to reflect on their thoughts and take control. People
can sometimes sense dissonance when they adopt a more constructive and positive
behavior. It can be helpful to give people the time and space to reflect on
their behavior and justify it. Therapy is one way to make it happen. Dissonant
thoughts can make people feel uncomfortable and may hinder their ability to
think positively. People may be more inclined to follow their wishes and
achieve their therapeutic goals if they are given the chance to design aspects
of their therapy or online counseling.
If
you would like to learn more about Cognitive Dissonance and live blissfully, seeking consultation for
thinking challenges with the Best Clinical Psychologists will help you to understand your emotions, thoughts,
and behaviors and enable you to better understand your emotional trauma,
depression, and anxiety, stress, and healthy behavioral skills. You can also
meet in the clinic with the best clinical psychologists &
parenting coaches at Psychowellness
Center, a multi-location clinic at Janakpuri, Dwarka, Vasant Vihar, Gurgaon,
NOIDA, Faridabad, and Delhi NCR.
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Contributed By:- Dr
(Prof) R K Suri Clinical Psychologist & Life
Coach & Mr.
Utkarsh Yadav, Psychologist