First of all, what is Cognitive dissonance?
In music, a dissonance (Latin dis-, "apart" + sonare, "to sound") — considered unstable (or temporary, transitional)as opposed to a consonance (Latin com-, "with" + sonare, "to sound") is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable. The term cognition (Latin: cognoscere, "to know", "to conceptualize" or "to recognize") refers to a faculty for the processing of information, applying knowledge, and changing preferences. Cognition is the scientific term for "the process of thought". Usage of the term varies in different disciplines; for example in psychology and cognitive science, it usually refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions. Other interpretations of the meaning of cognition link it to the development of concepts; individual minds, groups, and organizations.
Discussed frequently by Theme Zoom co-inventor Russell Wright in the context of Neuromarketing, cognitive dissonance is an internal contradiction (or multiple sets of contradictions) that creates a pattern of well-researched and predictable behaviors in an individual or group who is under its strange influence. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.
If you understand no other concept in cognitive neuroscience, please seek to understand this one and eradicate its tendency from your unconscious behavior. No human is immune to this blind spot, and it is probably costing you untold amounts of time and money. It is also creating untold amounts of unhappiness. In fact this blind spot is what allows most humans to survive and function without becoming paralyzed and depressed, but there is a great cost to the effects of cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. This contradiction between two beliefs creates a sort of 'pressure vacuum' that will spontaneously create a third belief in order to be filled. Generally this 'third belief' is pure confabulation. Also see existential cognitive dissonance. Please be advised that cognitive dissonance is a largely unconscious process; you are seldom consciously aware that you hold two contradictory beliefs or value systems simultaneously, utilizing each belief only when it is most socially convenient to do so.
This is another example of the kind of unconscious mind function influencing our behavior. Another that has political relevance is explained at length by George Lakoff in his writings about the framing of issues. In that case language like "tax relief", "freedom", "pro-life" are effective triggers for bringing preprogrammed arguments to the conscious mind in an economical way with little effort. Th framing idea is, in fact, related to cognitive disonance and can help the individual hold the conflicting beliefs. Read on below for more.
If you want to cut to the quick for the political relevance of this mental process the most obvious example I can think of is women and workers who are knee jerk republicans. They argue and vote against their own best interest without ever realizing that they are doing it. If challenged there is a prepared response rationalizing their behavior on moral or other grounds or some rejection of the political process as useless, or other ploys.
To a person not locked in this mindset the behavior seems totally irrational. In fact, by the best definitions of rationality it is.
Writing about complexity science, systems theory, climate change, capitalism, and other topics here can provide some pretty disturbing examples among our own ranks. The responses triggered are often as irrational as the more obvious republican examples we are all familiar with. In short, none of us are free of this mental process and we are as blind to ours as the republicans are to theirs.
Let me try an obvious example and see how you react. It seems obvious that we can not simultaneously believe in capitalism and our lifestyles under it and the need to do something about Global Warming and Climate Change at the same time.
If your reaction to that statement is to try to rebut it I suggest you have just experienced what we are talking about.
Let me try another. It seems to have been demonstrated in the last two Presidential elections that electing a candidate that fits most of our needs does not bring about the desired changes. Again I suspect many will want to find reasons why that is not so bad or why we have to try harder or some other line of reasoning other than to ask themselves why we spend so much time, effort, and resources on elections.
Let's see how this goes in the discussion. It should be interesting.