Leon Festinger

Leon Festinger was a prominent psychologist who studied how people deal with conflicting beliefs and behaviors. He is best known for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance, which explains that when our actions and beliefs clash, it creates psychological discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, people often change their beliefs or justify their actions. For example, if someone knows smoking is unhealthy but continues to smoke, they might tell themselves it's not that bad to feel better about their choice. Festinger's work helps us understand decision-making, attitude change, and how we rationalize behaviors to maintain mental harmony.