People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes, so when we hold two contradictory beliefs and our thoughts do not align with our actions, we may experience discomfort.

Whether we’re aware of it or not, this inconsistency — called cognitive dissonance — can motivate us to seek ways to reduce the unpleasant feelings it causes, such as by rejecting or avoiding new information.

(You know that drinking too much alcohol is harmful to your health, but you do it anyway and rationalize it by pointing to your high stress levels.)

Interested in how all of this manifests in everyday life, Reddit user Independent_Ad_3915 asked everyone else on the platform, “What’s the worst example of cognitive dissonance you’ve seen in real life?“

Here are some of the answers they have received. It sounds like we’re pretty good at lying to ourselves.

#1

People on government disability payments talking about cutting welfare

Image credits: sten45

#2

People who have generational wealth, but then claim they “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps” and “worked their a*s off to get where they are,” while claiming everyone else is just lazy.

Image credits: Whatchab

#3

People complaining about other peoples driving while comitting the same errors but its ok because “they are in a hurry”

Image credits: f_ranz1224

#4

My husband who knows the extreme trauma and is devastated that I suffered so much from being a child victim of abuse and yet angrily defending Mormonism’s unapologetic declaration that clergy shouldn’t have to report abuse when a member confesses it. He’s a securities attorney with high morals and ethics and yet excuses the LDS church of hiding billions of dollars from the govt and their members in shell companies. He supports the homophobic religion despite the fact that he loves and accepts and supports his 2 queer daughters. He could be a case study on brainwashing

Image credits: MormonEscapee

#5

Conversation I had with my former step dad:

Me: Ignorance is not knowing something, right?

Him: Yes.

Me: Willful ignorance is knowing you aren’t informed but doing nothing to change it, right?

Him: Yes.

Me: So arent you being willfully ignorant about evolution by not bothering to research how it works?

Him: (instantly offended) Listen. I don’t need to research evolution to know that it’s impossible for a frog to transmutate into a bird.

Me: I agree, it’s not possible. Transmutation isn’t evolution, that’s a term used for alchemy to change gold into silver and isn’t mentioned in evolution at all. Real evolution takes millions of years and happens because of gradual changes in DNA.

Him: (storms off) I aint got time for this

Image credits: TheMrEM4N

#6

Speaking as a leftist myself, some people claim to be progressive and say a lot of good things on many issues, but then they’ll open their mouths and say the most horrible, dehumanizing, frankly nauseating stuff about fat people. And you realize “Yeah, these people are not progressive at all.” They don’t understanding the humanity that underpins these issues one bit. They’re just playing tribal football, and are actually haters.

Image credits: Emu_on_the_Loose

#7

My mother told me that many years ago, our family had the children taken and forced to go to a Catholic boarding school. She told me that they cut their hair, beat the kids if they spoke their native language, and forced them to read the Bible and forced out our native belief. The term I’ve heard is, “They sewed the Bible into their hands.” They even outright m******d many kids while not telling the parents anything. I was already horrified, but then my mother told me that we’re a Catholic family that believes in Jesus…

Image credits: Typical_Credit_4224

#8

A neighbour complaining about increasing homelessness and then talking about how she can barely afford her mortgage payments on her rental property ever since interest rates rose higher. “I’m not allowed to raise the rent past a certain amount so now I’m paying the mortgage out of my pocket!”

Image credits: Crazy_Ad4505

#9

Republicans who spout homophobic rhetoric but then are found on Grindr.

Image credits: mom_with_an_attitude

#10

I will NEVER forget this interaction with a human equivalent of a papercut:

“So, are you getting the vaccine now that you’re pregnant?”

“No! I don’t know what it’ll do to my baby” (IMMEDIATELY takes a drag from a cigarette)

Image credits: TheSevenDweller

#11

My ex-boyfriend’s mother would sit on her front porch and complain about the neighbors. “Look at those busybodies, sitting on their porch gossiping about everybody. Did you hear that her daughter…”

She’d also insist her son drive her to the stores first thing after every holiday, so she could buy stuff half price “before the greedy people get there.”

Image credits: lorinabaninabanana

#12

Teachers supporting policy makers who want to cut education funding

Image credits: sauvignonquesoblanco

#13

“This weather is crazy!!! It was never like this when I was a kid.” meets “climate change is a hoax.”

Image credits: alken0901

#14

SO’s grandmother died this year, of cancer, that she had for 10 years. She refused to get treated, refused x-rays because she believed x-rays would give her cancer. 

Image credits: Infinite-Condition41

#15

For those of us who work/have worked in retail during the holiday season:

“I can’t believe they have you working on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day/insert holiday here…”

It’s you. It’s because of YOU I’m working. Cuz you’re here, shopping on a public holiday. ?

Image credits: Trigger-Hippie9186

#16

Illegal immigrants are taking our jobs!

I wouldn’t have a problem with illegal immigrants if they would work instead of coming here to live off of welfare!

Said within minutes of each other out of the same mouth.

Image credits: Kooky_Ad_5139

#17

My uncle refuses to acknowledge or give credibility to ANYTHING animated.

“It’s a f*****g cartoon it’s not real!”

“So if we take the factual events of WWII and animate it, it’s not real anymore?”

“Exactly!!!”

*Face palm*

Image credits: TripzPanda

#18

Brexit voters who live in Spain and other parts of the EU. Voting to kick out foreigners without realising that they are the foreigners is peak cognitive dissonance.

Image credits: No-Village-6781

#19

Ugh. I had a (now ex) best friend who had a pregnancy scare. She was super pro-life, very conservative Republican. I asked her what she was going to do and what support she needed from me, and she said she was considering getting an a******n if she was pregnant. When I seemed surprised, she said, “well, it’s different for me. I’m not a s**t like those other girls. I’m not ready for a baby. It’s different…” We stopped being friends after that. I couldn’t handle it anymore.

Image credits: wannabeginger

#20

When the pandemic started, a friend of mine got really obsessed with the fact that you can’t leave your home or go near people without a mask etc.

Only thing is it never reflected in his own actions. He judged others but did not follow guidelines himself. He worked at a grocery store at the time and refused to wear a mask his boss told him to wear, meanwhile complaining about people coming to the store without masks and putting his health at risk.

Image credits: Jurtaani

#21

People who purport to live their lives like Jesus, and yet are hateful and judgmental, and non-accepting which is the exact opposite of what the man was about, historically.

Image credits: Interesting_Gift4953

#22

Working class tory voters.

#23

Whole family dies from covid

*covid isn’t real, God just decided it was time to bring them home*

#24

Nepo babies who actually think they’ve gotten to where they are in life because they earned it by being so great when in fact their mommy got them the job.

#25

People that vote anti-a******n and then vote to eliminate free school lunches

#26

Republicans blocking Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the SCOTUS because, by their argument, “It was too close to the election (more than a year away), and we should let the people decide the next president first before we name a new SCOTUS member.”

Then, within *3 months* of the 2020 election, RBG dies and Republicans rush in and confirm their nominee as fast as they can before the election to make sure it’s stacked with another conservative in case Biden wins.

There is just no excuse for that blatant, absolutely transparent level of hypocrisy.

Such defines the American right-wing.

#27

My family who constantly make fun of and poke holes in the doctrine of other religions. My family are all Mormons.

#28

Have a neighbor (in America) with some odd allergies note they prefer to by European market items because of better labeling and more strict control of what goes in the products. While they have their don’t tread on me flags and complaining about mistrusting the government.

#29

The year before the pandemic I moved to Germany and had visited home (US), I was going for a swim at the public rec center I used to frequent and ran into one of the regulars. Telling him about my move to go to grad school and how college in Germany is cheaper.

While sitting inside the public, city owned rec center, he says “they can just keep that socialist c**p to themselves.”

#30

I met a woman whose brother was killed in combat in Iraq.

His pointless death made her….become even more of a Republican.

Because Nancy Pelosi didn’t do enough to stop George W. Bush.

#31

I don’t know, like 15 f*****g years ago there was a study or poll that came out that said that a higher % of college educated people watch comedy central than watch fox news.

And my mother has never, ever laid it down. Any time we discuss anything she accuses me of “getting my news from comedians”, just because I use to watch Jon Stewart, and now occasionally watch John Oliver.

When the news dropped that Exxon had insider memos knowing they knew about climate change, and their hand in it, my mom and I had a discussion.

I cited articles from Reuters, Bloomberg, and the BBC.

My mom literally pulled up Exxon’s website, and basically said “See? Exxon says it is fine and they are innocent”, and then at the end of our discussion, still came at me for “getting my news from comedians”, when I was the only one who actually cited a news source….

Image credits: BigBadZord

#32

LGBTQ people who vote republican.

(Although to be fair, I think it’s more about class and race privilege for them. Still idiots, though.)

#33

My mother, an immigrant, talking about immigrants taking over our country

#34

My mom who rushes to do all the chores herself and then complains when nobody else does them. And then if someone else does it she complains that it’s not being done the way she does it

Image credits: Legal_Bridge990

#35

My alcoholic husband who is completely off the rails and rapidly drinking himself to death and tearing my and our kids’ hearts apart, sitting in his chair rambling on about how sorry he feels for a friend who is dealing with a loved one’s drug addiction.

Image credits: lmcbmc

#36

An American flag next a Confederate flag. They were opposite sides of the same war

Image credits: INeedtobeDetained

#37

Simultaneously a Chinese bioweapon and just a cold

Image credits: ineedjuice

#38

My mom (who has admittedly come soooo far since this era) used to point out the “trashy” Russian ladies in the grocery store and say that they were using food stamps “paid for by her, and still have an attitude”

Meanwhile we literally were there purchasing groceries on WIC benefits lmao. Glad she’s overcome her issues there lol

Image credits: sweetiepotpie

#39

My parents are libertarian and hate the idea of socialism.

They constantly talk about how much they love the library.

Image credits: DennisPikePhoto

#40

My brother sarcastically yelling “well, maybe I have mental issues too!” Moments before kicking my door in half and threatening to attack me.

Image credits: AffectionateTwo3405

#41

Conservatives decrying they want government to leave them alone while supporting bans on gay marriage, access to women’s health, etc.

Image credits: NewPresWhoDis

#42

Person: I don’t like black people because so many of them commit crimes and are in jail for dealing drugs.

Me: But your son got ten years for major drug dealing.

Person: Yeah, but that’s different.

Image credits: classactdynamo

#43

My mother showed me a snapshot from her own childhood that showed, in general, her father lying on a childs bed, her sitting next to him between him and the wall. Her brother sitting on the floor in front of the bed, playing with some toys:

“This is my favourite picture from my childhood! All my siblings always whining and claiming we were abused. It’s such b******t. See? It’s just a quiet, calm, happy snapshot of a perfectly normal family. Every time one of them starts up about being abused, I remember this snapshot and know that we were fine. Just fine!”

And so I looked at the picture and asked, “What about the handgun?”

Because my f*****g grandfather (the wildly violent, gambling, womanizing, utter piece of human garbage) was literally laying there in his kids’ room with a handgun in his hand. We aren’t Americans. So like… yeah. That s**t ain’t normal.

She had been looking at that picture for HALF A CENTURY, always patting herself on the back that it was proof that her desperate need to insist everything was OK was in any way accurate, and never in all that time, had she apparently ever seen the handgun.

Mind blown.

Best part? Within a year, she tried to show me the picture again, again telling me about how it was her favourite and proof that her siblings were full of s**t…

So maybe she did see the gun.

#44

“This is what happens under socialism” Republicans talking about something happening now under capitalism

Image credits: Paisable

#45

Modern Christianity in the USA. It’s literally the opposite of what Jesus taught.

#46

[Insert minority] is not being vilified and oppressed by [ruler of our country]

[Ruler of the country] has done a great job, he took care of them [insert minority]

#47

People who tell me, “it was nice to meet you.”

#48

Farmers who survive on government subsidies complaining about the “welfare state”

#49

anti-vaxxers dying of preventable diseases

#50

Saying “I love animals” and then eating them