The brain seeks to avoid cognitive dissonance from "summary" of Your Brain Is Playing Tricks on You by Albert Moukheiber
When faced with conflicting beliefs or ideas, our brains work hard to resolve the discord to alleviate the discomfort caused by cognitive dissonance. This mental state arises when there is a discrepancy between our beliefs or attitudes, leading to feelings of unease and tension. To mitigate this discomfort, our brains instinctively seek out ways to restore harmony and coherence in our thoughts. One way our brains attempt to reduce cognitive dissonance is by modifying our beliefs or attitudes to align with one another. This process involves rationalizing our conflicting thoughts or behaviors to create a sense of consistency and reduce the psychological discomfort we experience. By adjusting our perceptions or justifying our actions, we can alleviate the cognitive dissonance and restore a sense of internal harmony. Another strategy our brains employ to avoid cognitive dissonance is by seeking out information that reaffirms our existing beliefs or attitudes while disregarding contradictory evidence. This confirmation bias allows us to maintain our current views and avoid the discomfort of conflicting information that challenges our established beliefs. By selectively filtering information, we can preserve our cognitive integrity and avoid the mental strain of grappling with contradictory ideas. Furthermore, our brains may also resort to minimizing the importance of the conflicting beliefs or ideas to downplay the significance of the discrepancies. By devaluing the relevance of the conflicting information or beliefs, we can diminish the impact of cognitive dissonance and reduce the discomfort associated with holding contradictory thoughts. This mental mechanism helps us maintain a sense of coherence and stability in our beliefs and attitudes, protecting us from the unsettling effects of cognitive dissonance.- Our brains are wired to seek out ways to avoid cognitive dissonance and maintain internal consistency in our thoughts and beliefs. By employing various cognitive strategies such as modifying beliefs, confirming existing views, or minimizing discrepancies, our brains work tirelessly to alleviate the discomfort caused by conflicting ideas. This inherent drive to restore harmony and coherence in our minds underscores the powerful influence of cognitive dissonance on our mental processes and decision-making.
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