Accepting cognitive dissonance

Individuals willing to confront the discomfort that cognitive dissonance introduces into one's life are a measure of one's character.

This psychological phenomenon, involving the simultaneous existence of opposing ideas or reasons for a particular outcome, signifies an openness to different perspectives and the potential for intellectual growth.

To possess two conflicting ideas or reasons in one's head is beneficial to prevent an echo chamber in one's ideas and possibilities. This willingness to embrace paradoxes reflects a mature understanding that the complexity of reality often exceeds our initial comprehension.

Cognitive dissonance, often accompanied by discomfort, results in individuals seeking alternative explanations for the results. For example, consider a scenario where one vehemently disagrees with a politician and their policies, yet witnesses a decline in poverty and crime rates under their leadership.

A wise approach involves exploring the possibility that the leadership, despite personal dislike, may have contributed to these positive outcomes.

Embracing cognitive dissonance is an invitation to explore alternatives and different thoughts, incurring new learnings and acceptance of new knowledge and potential outcomes. This approach challenges the ego, where we tend to base our decisions on emotions and, as a result, rationalise them with logic later.

Imagine I'm buying a new car because I believe it's going to save me money in the long run from maintenance and servicing. Disregarding the bad mileage I'm getting from it. Where if you accepted cognitive dissonance, you would see that the car would cost you more money in the long run through gas alone. If I could make that decision void of emotions or flawed logic, I might have seen the fallacy I was weaving myself.

Cognitive dissonance acts as a paradox, defying expectations by presenting two opposing outcomes that converge into a positive result. The true challenge lies in accepting these outcomes, even when the reasons behind them are personally displeasing.

Wise individuals accept the outcomes from cognitive dissonance without the need to reshape it with logic that caters to our fragile egos. By doing so, we foster intellectual resilience and a genuine openness to the complexity of the world and its outcomes.

The discomfort associated with cognitive dissonance is not a hindrance but an opportunity for intellectual and personal growth once accepted.

It calls for a mindset change that embraces complexity, values, and diverse perspectives, making our understanding of this world richer and prosperous for growth in us all.