Cognitive Dissonance is the discomfort that arises when one’s thoughts and behaviors do not correspond. For example, if a person supports conservation and the environment yet drives a car which is fuel-inefficient, they will experience cognitive dissonance. To reduce this cognitive dissonance, they will convince themselves that the car is actually not bad for the environment or buy a new one.
Cognitive dissonance is reduced to justify one’s current situation, especially if that particular situation is one that they already committed to. I personally experienced cognitive dissonance during my first few months at college. Specifically, I wondered constantly if college was worth it and whether my major was something I was interested in. But, I began to justify more and more my choice to attend Penn State and choose the major that I did the more time I spent here. This was because it was easier to rationalize that I made the right choice rather than start all over and switch majors or transfer. And, as a result, I became happier and more comfortable in college because I had a positive attitude towards it. If I didn’t commit so much to college, I probably would have not adopted this new mindset.
A similar example is my experience in fraternity life. I personally believe that the time I put into pledging my fraternity makes me value it much more. It is far easier to appreciate the fraternity rather than think that the pledging process was a waste of time.
Cognitive dissonance is an interesting subject. There were many times in my life where my attitudes changed to match my current behavior. However, cognitive dissonance can also be reduced by changing one’s behavior. For example, instead of justifying my choice to stay in my major or stay at Penn State, I could have switched my major or transferred. I often wonder how different my life would have been if I would have done this. Interestingly, there is a chance that if I did change my major or transfer I would regret my decision. Then, I would adopt a new attitude to justify my decision. Thus, the cycle would continue.