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Ways To Recognize The Siren Song Of Self

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People behave in certain ways to feel good about themselves. That is a small part of what cognitive dissonance does. Briefly, cognitive dissonance is a psychological concept. It's when someone has two conflicting thoughts, that could be for instance; decisions, the way you view yourself, and more. This also influences the reason why people don't recognize that they're not meeting the standards they set for themselves.
Cognitive dissonance protects our self esteem. As people, we do not like to admit our mistakes. In addition, it reduces regret and embarrassment; which gives people an optimistic outlook of themselves. This is very different from lying to people since that is based on looking foolish or terrible, and the lying is to cover it …show more content…

For instance, once someone has self-justification, it allows people to believe that they did the right thing, and that the wrongdoings are acceptable. They also may cause bad habits that are difficult to break. As Tarvis says in the reading: "...Recognize the siren song of self-justification"(10). Not being aware, you can lead yourself to a dead end with self justification, like the example of the "siren song." Siren songs are part of a Greek mythology where these creatures that lured people on ships with their harmonious voices and lead them to their deaths. If you are not careful, self-justification can be a cost rather than a benefit.The cost and benefits depend on the situation. There are different types of cognitive dissonance: This includes; forced compliance, when you are forced to do something. Decision making, when you have to choose between two opportunities, …show more content…

He promotes that people should be consistently reading books since it’s helpful for them and will make them smarter. yet, he contradicts himself by the fact that he does not read books himself. There are a few tensions Rob feels in his situation. For instance, he felt foolish because he exposed himself; he tells people to read when he does not do it. The next tension is embarrassment; Larry now knows that Rob doesn't read. In this example, Rob clearly tries to reduce his cognitive dissonance. Rob saw himself as a smart person, and told others to read, but by not being a reader himself, Rob now comes to the conclusion that he is not as knowledgeable as he thought he was. He set himself on a high standard for being knowledgeable, but it was challenged. He uses two of the three reducing methods. To minimize harm, he mentions he sometimes reads the newspaper and ads on the subway. This is a way to brush off the dissonance and that his actions should be taken lightly. The second method used is emphasize his new belief; he's too busy to read. Rob attempts to justify himself by stating that he is too preoccupied with other things. The healthiest option would be to change his belief or behavior, which he didn't do. Yet, if Rob did take that action, he would have to start reading books if he wants to continue to tell people to read, or admit he does not read and stop promoting reading. With that, his contradictions will

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