Cognitive dissonance and Jan. 6, 2021

Cognitive dissonance is a term we have heard in reporting around the event of Jan. 6, 2021. How does it apply to recent riots, mobs and violence?

Cognitive dissonance is a mouthful that has an upsetting meaning. The basis of cognitive dissonance is dealing with inconsistencies. We all face that daily. It is normal for inconsistencies to upset us. Everyone tries to limit the inconsistencies in their life and restore cognitive consonance, i.e. consistency!

When we confront cognitive dissonance in our personal life, political life, our business life, and our relationships, it is unnerving. We have a belief or an attitude that we have invested in. We then encounter conflicting information or events. The result: cognitive dissonance. Cognitively we believe or have attached to a certain idea or behavior. We encounter dissonance when information is presented or enters our world which throws that belief, attitude, or behavior into a questionable light.

We are forced to look at our preconceived ideas, attitudes or behaviors and examine them. This can be encountered in many situations. Why is cognitive dissonance so uncomfortable for us? It demands that choices be made. That alone is challenging emotionally, stressful, and can affect others. Bucking the system to address personal cognitive dissonance may mean losing a job, becoming an outlier in the company or peer group, or worse.

We are caught in the abyss of cognitive dissonance.

Our natural protection mechanisms come into play when we seek to turn dissonance into consonance. Rather than changing our behavior or beliefs, we seek to reach consistency by denying that a conflict really exists. This rejection of new information or concepts then allows us to maintain our previously held ideas, attitudes and behaviors.

This rejection of the new and upsetting information allows us to avoid making any changes. It promotes internal psychological consistency. We encounter this denial when we encounter an opposing opinion (even our own) that is based on data and facts. The holder is convinced and not able to alter their position despite what might be considered to be irrefutable information.

Another common method of avoiding cognitive dissonance is to debunk the conflicting information. While protecting a preconceived position, the debunking party states either overtly or internally that the only reason the conflicting position is existing is to promote some other agenda that is incorrect to you. Because there is an ulterior motive behind the conflicting information, it is worse than suspect. It becomes devious and malicious. As such it is easier to dismiss it. Dissonance becomes consonance when the conflicting information is dismissed. The conflict disappears but is not resolved.

There is an even more negative way of avoiding cognitive dissonance. Just avoid the conflicting information or situation all together!

“I never heard that!”

And then the reality of

“Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law.”

Comes into effect! Similarly, denial and debunking are equally ineffective in changing personal thinking.

People who read, watch and listen to opinions that only support their preconceived ideas are seldom challenged to question those ideas. Even though a preconceived idea may be suspect or even harmful, it is comfortable and often ingrained to a point where it is unconscious and automatic.

Those encountering ideas that run counter to their predetermined positions have issues to address. They must find a way to defend their position if change is too uncomfortable for them. This may be accomplished through denial, debunking, and avoidance. If those defense mechanisms are in use, cognitive considerations are not used or needed, dissonance is avoided and change does not occur.

Rather than seeking to defend a previously held idea, continuing a questionable behavior, or adjusting an attitude, alternatives to resolving cognitive dissonance, can be applied. Evaluating a conflicting idea or position rather that denying, avoiding, or suspecting it would be the first step in being open to change. By being clear about the reasoning, behind previously held positions and opposing positions, it is possible that the new positions may hold some truths. The value assessment may produce a third position that is an improvement on the two prior conflicting positions. Obviously, this is a hard place to bring both parties. It requires a lot of mental agility to be able to listen and consider an opposing view.

Seeing compromise or even consideration of opposing opinions is a threat to the internal consistency of both. It does make growth possible. Unwillingness to admit error and avoiding being open to any other idea limits growth. Without growth there is only death. Physical death—perhaps not, but psychological death and rigidity are real possibilities.

Cognitive dissonance can be a limiting position when any change is viewed as a loss. Cement-hard positions limit mental freedom. Hard set positions are like mental prisons. You are locked in. People avoid dissonance when their preconceived behavior is seen as satisfying for them and universally safe. Staying entrenched avoids any cognition of the possibility that change, and its accompanying uncertainty and adjustment may present. Cognitive considerations may be overridden by the emotional consequences of fear of change and uncertainty of outcome.

Given the ubiquitous-ness of cognitive dissonance, we will certainly encounter it often in our personal life, business life and our relationships. Our natural inclination to stay in the “safe zone” of our preconceived ideas is strong. We easily use denial, suspicion and avoidance to deal with anything that threatens to upset our safe positions of preconceived ideas. Keeping an open mind and allowing consideration of opposing ideas can support the growth and expansion of ideas. The holders of opposing ideas may be encountering cognitive dissonance about their positions and benefit from encounters that reveal new and interesting information.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------