up-to-date on the latest medical technologies, and they treated all manner of injuries and illnesses with enthusiasm and composure. The biggest surprise, however, was the doctors. There were 14 physicians whose full-time job was working in the emergency room and 13 of them were smokers. I thought: surely all these medical professionals knew enough about the human body to know whether or not smoking is dangerous to human health. It was all I needed, my cognitive dissonance was gone; between my university and the hospital, I was convinced the danger of smoking had been exaggerated. I smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day for nearly ten years. Then I started a stressful job and my smoking doubled to a pack a day. I had convinced myself that ten cigarettes a day was reasonable, but 20 were unacceptable, so I quit. The level of discomfort experienced by an individual is called magnitude of dissonance. In other words, people get upset when their most closely held beliefs are challenged. People can also suffer cognitive dissonance when they feel they are being forced to do something against their moral convictions, such as being drafted into the military or giving into peer pressure. It can also be caused by having to decide between two equally appealing choices (this is what I experienced about smoking). Cognitive dissonance can make people feel stress, embarrassment, sadness, regret, or shame. There are four ways people typically deal with cognitive dissonance: 1. They justify maintaining their behavior or belief by changing the new information. Example: I decided if I only smoked half a pack a day, then smoking was safe. 2. They justify maintaining their behavior or belief by adding new behaviors or information. Example: I also started exercising and taking vitamins because I believed it would lessen the damage of smoking. 3. They ignore or deny the new information that conflicts with their existing belief. Example: I decided the science must be wrong because I knew lots of doctors who smoked. 4. They accept the new information and change their behavior or belief. Example: I quit smoking when my consumption exceeded half a pack a day. Another way people control cognitive dissonance is through selective exposure. This means they limit or shun new information and will only attend media that agrees with, or helps maintain, their current belief system. Selective exposure is the same thing as Cognitive Bias, which I have addressed previously in this column. Hiding from the truth won’t make it go away; it’s better to go ahead and find out why it triggers you. In this day and age of fake news, indoctrination, and propaganda, cognitive dissonance is on the rise. If you find yourself bewildered and agitated by a story in the news, you might be suffering from cognitive dissonance. This is when you should employ your critical thinking skills. Philosopher Ayn Rand had a succinct method for dealing with this type of cognitive dissonance, “Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.” Rapid change can also cause cognitive dissonance. In today’s modern world, technological advances come quickly and keeping up with them can be challenging. For example, artificial intelligence combined with CGI (computer-generated images) can now create photographs so realistic people can be tricked into believing things which are not true or even impossible. I have found a better way to deal with this kind of cognitive dissonance is to prepare for it. In my article Uncovering the Habits of Innovators, I stated the primary habit of innovators is to routinely expose themselves to different viewpoints and new stimuli. Creative thinkers seek out new information and attempt to experience as many new things as possible. The reason for this is because the more diverse data you have in your brain, the more material you have for making new connections and combinations. The benefit of this habit for overcoming cognitive dissonance is once you’ve developed this skill, you will start to notice change early. When you recognize it soon enough, you are better prepared for dealing with it. If you find yourself baffled or confused, don't try to justify your current belief, fine tune it with creative and critical thinking. Robert Robert is an innovation/change speaker, author, and consultant. He works with companies that want to be more competitive through innovation and with people who want to think more creatively. Contact him via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com Alberta Water Well Drilling Association Convention & Trade Show April 4-6, 2024 Red Deer Resort & Casino Red Deer, Alberta, Canada Join us for: j Wine / Cheese Reception j Trade Show j Guest Speaker j Awards/Presentations j Technical Sessions j Annual Meeting This Year’s Theme: (Best Dressed) Contact Sheena Larson at 780-386-2335 www.awwda.ca Don’t miss the Silent Auction! Wilson Cont’d from page 15. Let us know how we may be able to provide our Solid Gold Service ~ with a Smile!™ to you. 850-547-0102. 16 APRIL 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
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