cognitive dissonance
nounUK /ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv ˈdɪs.ən.əns/
US /ˈkɑːɡ.nə.tɪv ˈdɪs.ən.əns/
The uncomfortable feeling you get when you believe two things that don't match.
She felt cognitive dissonance when she loved sweets but also wanted to be healthy.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In psychology, the stress a person feels when their actions and beliefs disagree.
Smokers may experience cognitive dissonance because they know smoking is harmful.
3. The process of changing a belief to reduce mental conflict.
He reduced his cognitive dissonance by deciding the test wasn't important.
4. A mismatch between what someone says and what they do.
The coach's cognitive dissonance showed when he praised teamwork but always played alone.