The Dissonance Implosion

I’ve brought up cognitive dissonance in at least three different conversations in less than one week, so I took that as a sign to write about it. Cognitive dissonance is a term used to describe the disconnect between what you believe or think and what you do. It is a state of psychological unrest. It disrupts the “Know-Do-Results” cycle I wrote about the other day (odracir72.livejournal.com/57020.html). The cycle, fortunately, is self-correcting. At some point, an adjustment in either what you know, what you do, or the way you assess results is made to eliminate or reduce dissonance. Reduction of dissonance, however, is often temporary as there is a compromise in effect. It usually entails a level of self-deception that cannot be sustained. Elimination of dissonance should be the goal. Elimination requires a change, not merely an adjustment, to any of the three steps of the cycle.  Again: what you know, what you do, and the results you get. When the dissonant situation is eliminated, peace and harmony are restored to the individual.  We regain balance. Trying to be two different people…the one at work and the one at home, for example…will eventually lead to dissonance. One is no more real or valid than the other, but it takes too much energy to maintain the separation between them. The deeper the divide, in fact, the more energy required to keep the charade from collapsing in on it self.  When it does collapse, the disconnect between what we think and what we do is revealed.  The revelation can lead to disenchantment, disillusionment, dissatisfaction…all kinds of other states that being with “dis.”  The bottom line is that not allowing ourselves to be “authentically me” pretty much guarantees us that we will run out of the energy required to prop up the facade.  We will experience cognitive dissonance. At some point in our lives, we all experience the implosion.