Cognitive Dissonance Diaries”: Week 2: The Little Lies We Tell Ourselves — Why Cognitive Dissonance Keeps Us Comfortable

 

Week 2: The Little Lies We Tell Ourselves

Prompt:

Explore how we justify small contradictions (like buying expensive stuff but calling it an “investment”).

Goal:

Show how cognitive dissonance keeps us comfortable.

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The Story:

We’ve all done it. You splurge on that sleek new gadget, fancy handbag, or overpriced coffee machine and then whisper to yourself:
“It’s not a luxury… it’s an investment.”

Or maybe you tell yourself that skipping the gym isn’t laziness — it’s “listening to your body.” Or that staying up till 2 a.m. binging a show is actually “self-care.”

Welcome to the tiny theater in our heads where we are both the playwright and the audience — constantly spinning little justifications that make our choices feel smarter, healthier, or more reasonable than they really are.

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The Science Bit (Made Simple):

This is called cognitive dissonance — the mental tension we feel when our actions and beliefs don’t quite match up. Instead of facing that uncomfortable gap, our brains get creative:

• Bought something you don’t need? → It’s a long-term investment.

• Ate three slices of cake? → I deserved it after the week I had.

• Ignored a red flag in a relationship? → No one’s perfect.

Our minds smooth over contradictions like a friend covering for us when we’re late. It’s not that we’re lying outright — it’s that we’re keeping ourselves comfortable.

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Why It Matters Globally:

From Karachi to Cairo, New York to Nairobi — people do this everywhere. Different cultures, different values, same little self-convincing tricks. A student in Tokyo might justify buying pricey stationery as “studying motivation,” while a parent in Paris convinces themselves that fast food night is “quality bonding.”

We all soften reality with these mini justifications because, honestly, life would feel too harsh without them.

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The Gentle Reminder:

Small lies to ourselves aren’t always bad — sometimes they cushion our stress. But when we stack them up too high, we start living in a house of excuses instead of a home of truth.

The challenge is not to eliminate these “mental cushions” entirely but to notice them. To pause and ask: “Am I explaining this to myself… or excusing it?”

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Try This Tonight:

Catch one little lie you tell yourself today. Don’t judge it, just notice it. Then ask: What’s the real truth under this story?
Even one moment of honesty can feel surprisingly freeing.

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👉 Next week: The Comfort of “Someday” — how we push dreams and hard choices into an imaginary future to avoid facing them today.