The Sense of Dissonance

The sense of dissonance refers to the uncomfortable feeling that arises when your beliefs, values, or actions are in conflict or inconsistency. It occurs when there’s a mismatch between what you think or feel and what you do or believe, leading to mental discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, people often change their beliefs, justify their actions, or rationalize the situation. This concept helps explain why we seek consistency in our thoughts and behaviors, and it plays a key role in decision-making and attitude change. Essentially, dissonance signals that something isn’t aligning in your inner sense of harmony.