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For me, I'm not sure this is the answer to anything, just think its a good place for dialog.
We set forth to change the world but many obstacles lie in the way.
It is hard to change people's minds when they have a vested interest in not changing them. This theory helps illuminate some of that challenge.
When people do things which contradict their ideas of themselves, a cognitive dissonance occurs. You think you are a good person, you do something not so good, presto, cognitive dissonance.
People must do something to resolve that conundrum.
Often they justify things or rationalize them or just become more idealistic. e.g. you tell yourself, well everyone one does bad things, I shouldn't worry if I've done something bad. It negates the Dissonance. All better.
But really a better choice is to just expand our definition of ourselves. I'm a good person, but sometimes I do things I don't necessarily like, what can I learn from this.
It is a bothersome thought that the leaders of our country have this same issue. They think, I am a great leader. Then they… say… invade a small country under somewhat questionable justifications and then that invasion goes to hell.
Then what, a certain dissonance arises, and that leader, rather than facing the fact that maybe they aren't such a great leader, plows forward in their convictions that we must “stay the course” because, well, they are a great leader and couldn't have done anything wrong.
I think that this theory is a useful perspective, my real question is, would there be something here we can leverage to help change minds.
Not sure I have an answer to that, but maybe a stepping out point for discussion that might lead to some useful ideas on how to really change the way people think.
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