Dissolving Cognitive Dissonance

How to extract the essence of truth

The most straightforward way to put it would be, just do it. The more elaborate one then would go like this — start by accepting the incoming information at face value, and as you look at it, everything should be immediately clear to you. I know, it’s easier said than done, but don’t be scared, there are some safety checks and tips down the road.

Of course, I speak only from biased personal experience, but the most valuable safety checks, or landmarks, are so-called “negative emotions”. Particularly anger, sadness, fear, and desire. Every time I feel one of those, I get red lights as listed below (provided, the emotion does not devour me).

I wonder whether we call these emotions “negative” only because we feel as if we have no control over them, or because we know that we have no control over their triggers … or because of another reason … but I digress.

Anger, although it boosts courage and resolve, both very blinding and both carrying the danger of rash acts or use of excessive power, always means that the information contains bits that stand in opposition to what I would prefer to be true. Intensity of the anger is proportional to the amount of how much the two opposing bits of information differ — from almost aligned to direct negation. Anger also highlights things I’d like to keep.

Sadness — the wine for mind — indicates information that I know is true, but I’m still not completely over it. The strength of the emotion very much depends on the amount of my previous emotional investment in belief that is contrary to said information but which already became unsustainable. So, it points at everything I lost, but still didn’t let go.

Fear, which is, similarly to anger, carrying the danger of rash acts or use of excessive power, speaks of something which is unknown and thus can represent potential serious danger. Again, as with anger, the depths of horror depend on the level of uncertainty the information introduces and probability of what I consider harmful, which in turn sheds light on my deepest core values by pointing at things I’m afraid to lose.

Desire, even though many, due to is sweetness, would argue if it’s a “negative emotion” as such, marks information that fills the void of uncertainty in a very pleasurable way. Similarly to fear, desire sheds light on all things I desperately yearn.

Thus, if unchecked, anger can result in me dismissing the incoming information before proper evaluation, sadness may literally drown me, pinned in one place or going in circles — no further input possible, fear can make me run away with eyes and ears shut not even willing to consider the information in itself, and desire may lead me to uncritically embrace ideas without any previous examination.

But — if I manage to see through the surge of emotion, peek through what it is, I can asses the conflicting information with clear mind and undisturbed instinct. This allows me to see with more clarity where the information overlaps, where it contradicts, where it leads to stalemate, or how much it resonates. Thus, it leads to a more objective understanding.

Whether I’m able to act on it is, in the end, a story for a different time.