Outsmarting Yourself
After we make a decision, we often tell ourselves a story about why our choice was the right one to make. It's a mental process that psychologist Elliot Aronson calls self-justification. These rationalizations can sometimes lead us to excuse bad behavior or talk ourselves out of a poor choice. But are there also times when self-justification can be used for good?
- Duration
- 53m
- Broadcast on
- 18 Sep 2023
- Audio Format
- other
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After we make a decision, we often tell ourselves a story about why our choice was the right one to make. It's a mental process that psychologist Elliot Aronson calls self-justification. These rationalizations can sometimes lead us to excuse bad behavior or talk ourselves out of a poor choice. But are there also times when self-justification can be used for good?
This is the second part of our series on cognitive dissonance. Listen to the first episode: How We Live with Contradictions.
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This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanta. In nearly every dimension of our lives, we have two selves. We have the self that knows what the right thing is to do, and then we have, well, ourselves. In high school, we know that hard work and preparation are crucial to success. But when it comes time to choose between study and play, many of us choose the easy path. As adults, we know that kindness and civility are what allow communities to function. Yet when we are late or upset, we often act impulsively. We know that we should visit elderly parents or stay in touch with friends who have fallen on hard times. We know we should exercise regularly and make the time to eat healthy. We know sleep and social connection are engines for contentment and well-being. We know these things, but it is so tempting to settle a little deeper into the couch, crack open a fizzy drink, and let Netflix auto-stream another episode of our favorite television show. Over the last several decades, the psychologist Elliot Aronson has worked to understand how our minds justify our actions. We explored the origins of Elliot's research in the previous episode. If you missed it, I strongly recommend you start there and listen to it first. We looked at the curious ways cognitive dissonance works, and we examined the clash between two of Elliot's mentors, the famous psychologist Abraham Maslow and Leon Festinger. This week on Hidden Brain, psychological jiu-jitsu. How to use your mind to get your mind to do what your mind would rather not do. [Music] Support for Hidden Brain comes from Instagram. Instagram teen accounts automatic protections limit who can contact teens, the content they can see, and the time they spend on the app. Teens are automatically placed into teen accounts. Teens under 16 will need a parent's permission to change any of those settings to be less strict. Learn more about teen accounts and Instagram's ongoing work to protect teens online at instagram.com/teenaccounts Support for Hidden Brain comes from Land Rover. Even the boldest journey starts small with a single decision to go somewhere new. Purpose built and courage driven, the Defender 110 combines on-road presence with off-road capability. It looks tough because it is with a raised hood and an exterior engineered for durability. Inside, capability meets comfort with seating for five and the option for seven plus refined finishes and thoughtful design. The Defender event is on now, explore enhanced offers at landroverusa.com. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Progressive. Whoever says saving money is hard doesn't know that new customers who bundle and save with Progressive save hundreds. Because switching your home and auto insurance is better than cutting down on those iced lattes you love. Switch to Progressive and see if you could save. And get your quote today at Progressive.com, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates and other insurers. Not available in all states. In one of ESOP's fables, a fox notices a bunch of grapes high up on a vine. The grapes look delicious and the fox's mouth starts to water. The fox jumps as high as it can, but fails to reach the grapes. The fox tries again. It takes a running start and leaps into the air with all its strength. Again, it misses. Over and over, the fox tries to reach the grapes. Finally, it gives up. But before it walks away, it looks contemptuously at the grapes and exclaims. They are sour grapes anyway. The parable, of course, is not about foxes, but about us.
Transcription truncated.
After we make a decision, we often tell ourselves a story about why our choice was the right one to make. It's a mental process that psychologist Elliot Aronson calls self-justification. These rationalizations can sometimes lead us to excuse bad behavior or talk ourselves out of a poor choice. But are there also times when self-justification can be used for good?