What Cognitive Dissonance Is And Is Not

[mudesi]

Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding contradictory ideas or beliefs. In other words, people experiencing cognitive dissonance realize that their ideas are contradictory.

I've seen this term used wrongly far too often, and I suspect it's because people keep on using it on message boards. I once heard someone use the word "dysentery" when they meant "dissent", and found out later that the character Christopher Moltisanti used that on an episode of The Sopranos. Clearly it was meant as a joke on the show, but ignorant viewers picked it up.

So let's clear this up. People who hold views that are completely contradictory lack cognitive dissonance.

While I'm at it:
There = Over there...; There are...;
Their = It is their money...;
They're = They are...

You don't use an apostrophe to pluralize something. Iraqis, not "Iraqi's".
Its = The dog likes its treats.
It's = It is

Thank you.

[scheming daemons]

1. Don't forget also... it is "loser" not "looser"

...and it is MOOT point, not MUTE point.

[tridim]

2. Joe the Non-Plummer said "Mute point" the other day

I LMFAO when he said it. :)

[Kookaburra]

3. Oh, if only it were a mute point,

maybe he'd keep his stupid mouth shut.