Cognitive dissonance

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Cognitive dissonance, in psychology, is the mental stress experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time. This stress may also arise within an individual who holds a belief and performs a contradictory action.

One example has been where people know smoking is bad for you but continues to do it.

"The existence of dissonance, being psychologically uncomfortable, will motivate the person to try to reduce the dissonance and achieve consonance"

"When dissonance is present, in addition to trying to reduce it, the person will actively avoid situations and information which would likely increase the dissonance"

This is where people will have to blot out the stress with a variety of addictions.

Music, movies, mind altering drugs, alcohol, tobacco and numerous things which they may claim helps them "deal with stress".

The reason they reach for these things is to avoid dealing with the stress and the cause of it. Seeking groups conventions or crowds of people who will think like you and assure you that you are okay despite the stress you. Because of the conflict between what you want to believe is true and what you do are doing is causing you stress you will seewk anything that will give you relief.

Cognitive dissonance, in psychology, is the mental stress that results from hypocrisy which is defined as "the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense."

Another example is when people continue to sin but want to believe their are saved from sin. This would mean that most Churches promote the continuation of Cognitive dissonance by seeking to make people comfortable with their common hypocrisy

There is a cognitive dissidence in modern religions because they want to believe they are "saved" or "blessed" or "accepted".


It is simply not righteous or a Christ thing to do to send men to your neighbors house and force your neighbor to contribute because you have no coat or need healthcare or want free education for your children. It is not loving your neighbor. It is coveting your neighbor's life and goods.

Such activities will make you a human resource or as Peter calls it merchandise. What should have been for your welfare will become a snare… as Paul and David wrote.

The fact is people are under a strong delusion. They often imagine they are saved and born again while they are not doing what Christ said or even believe they should do as he said. It is not loving your neighbor as Moses and Jesus said but coveting as was forbidden by most religions.

Yet the religious people today seek the benefits of those gods of the world and apply for benefits from men who call themselves benefactors but exercise authority by taking from their neighbor to provide those benefits.

To desire those benefits at the expense of your neighbor, rich or poor is the definition of coveting. This desire and hunger for security and benefits at the expense of others creates a cognitive dissonance.


Solutions and Therapy

Some social psychologists have argued that the act of freely choosing a specific therapy, together with the effort and money invested by the client in order to continue to engage in the chosen therapy, "positively influences the effectiveness of therapy."[1]

When an individual has a right and exercises a right to act on their own behalf or the behalf of others the result is a release from the compulsion caused by cognitive dissonance.

While there is evidence that continuous conflict will effect the brain itself there is no doubt that cognitive dissonance will influence an individual's attitude and behavior.

There are numerous theories that challenge cognitive dissonance like Bem's Self-perception theory, Heider's Balance theory, Cost-benefit analysis and Self-discrepancy or Averse consequences theory.

All these are modern science's own cognitive dissonance to the fact that the selfish nature of man which results in all the problems of society can only be overcome with a consistent therapeutic practice of forgiveness and forgiving taught by Christ and the prophets.


  1. Cooper, J., & Axsom, D. (1982). Integration of clinical and social psychology. Oxford University Press.