Cognitive dissonance

Meaning

The mental discomfort experienced by holding two conflicting beliefs.

Examples

• John: 'He experienced <b>cognitive dissonance</b> when his beliefs clashed with new evidence.'
• Alice: 'It's a common reaction when facing contradictory information.'
• John: 'Many struggled to reconcile the conflicting claims.'
• Alice: 'The speaker's arguments created <b>cognitive dissonance</b> in the audience.'