The Tribune

By KIRKLAND PRATT

If you have ever been less than honest and have felt self-conscious because you see yourself as particularly truthful, then you have experienced cognitive dissonance. Festinger (1959) posited the Cognitive Dissonance theory, which asserts that cognitive dissonance occurs whenever your view of yourself conflicts with your performance in any area. For instance, you see yourself as smart but can’t believe you made such a dumb decision to gamble all of your weekly earnings on a single number that never came. Exactly how we choose to resolve the dissonance, and its discomfort, is a good reflection of our mental health. In fact, cognitive dissonance can be a great opportunity for growth.

As thinking beings, we sometimes avert cognitive dissonance by justifying the irrational behaviour we exhibit from time to time against our own belief systems, no matter how senseless. I am reminded of a Newsweek story authored by Andy Hunt and published in 2007 that focused on the customs of the Nuer and the Dinka tribes of southern Sudan.

Within these cattle-herding societies, the elders of the village remove several of their children’s permanent front teeth with a fishhook as soon as they sprout. This customary procedure leaves all tribe members with a distinctive slack-jawed look and speech impediments. The tribes rationale for this crippling custom was elaborated on in the book “Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me),” as an example of the psychological process known as cognitive dissonance.

The authors Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, both social psychologists, state that this odd practice started years ago when the tetanus virus was rampant on central Africa. Tetanus is a serious infection that causes “lockjaw”. The brutal tooth removal allowed children afflicted by this infectious disease to drink liquids even when their jaw muscles clamped shut.

What is ironic is that this practice persists despite the fact that the tetanus vaccine has been able to steadily decrease the number of cases of the bacteria borne disease; and is widely accessible to even the most remote parts of Africa. Notwithstanding this, the tribes continue the practice and even ostracize members whose teeth are intact referring to them as resembling a jackal.

Before giving into the temptation to dismiss the Nuer and the Dinka as out of their minds, consider the Ivy League schools in the Western hemisphere where hazing is a common practice to be initiated into a fraternity. According to a recent research submitted to The Hazing Reader 2011 by Michael Gordon, et al, hazing involves forced sleep deprivation, drug overdose, gratuitous sex, confinement and branding to name a few. The college student who wishes to be initiated into a fraternity agrees to this activity. How much ‘smarter’ are we? Not very perhaps, but in disturbingly large pockets we, like the Nuer and Dinka tribes, defend our actions as justified when the obvious is clearly to the contrary.

Cognitive dissonance is very similar to Stockholm syndrome but principally differs in that the actual captor is the individual himself. How often do you smack yourself on the forehead wondering why you preformed in a way that was so out of character with your eyes wide open? Why do we set ourselves up knowing full well how disappointed we may find ourselves? The answer is different for each of us but what remains consistent is that the phenomena exists and it is real.

As is with so many psychologically-based issues, awareness of self, external and internal triggers and an open mind may prompt the necessary indicators necessary to effect change and to tidy the thought processes that come with the cognitive dissonance phenomenon.

Keep thinking though, you are good for it.