Going by dictionary meaning, 'cognition' is "the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning". So it is possible that we run into conflicts because of the so-called cognition since our mind (or rather right brain) is involved (by definition, cognition is not purely analytical or logical). But how do our minds deal with such conflicts? For example, supposing there is something that we have always badly wanted but facts stand that, it is impossible to get it, how many times have we convinced ourselves that the thing we wanted is not worth it after all? Does it remind of the classic fox-and-sour-grapes fable? Yes, the grapes are not worth the jump because they are sour, it is not the fox that is not worth the grapes because it is not tall enough to reach them. May be there is a psychological term for such conflicts (I am sure there is).
Our minds are the most beautiful and awe inspiring entities. It is still amazing despite the whole lot of useless justifications it can draw to deal with the situations - our failures, our successes, others' successes, our anger and almost every possible positive or negative reaction even after we "learn" the causal logical reasons behind these happenings.
Is it good or is it bad? I think it is very subjective. Just as our body has an immune system to deal with when it gets hurt in form of bruises or diseases, I think it is just a form of immune system to deal with mind's bruises. In this sense, it is good and in fact needed.
But there are countless instances where this a severe handicap. For instance, we are so keen on justifying that we forget to deal with refreshed facts. That needs smartness . To be able to deal with new realities and to unlearn old things and learn new things are as important as recovering from mind's bruises. If any human mind is capable of doing that, then there would be no 'Monty Hall' problems or there would no one whose mind is superior over the others. And what a dull place would that make since there is no scales we got to live up to?
Cognitive Conflicts
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4 comments:
It's all perfectly human! Everyone is alike and different in some sense. Each behavior counts as human.
"The grapes are sour" is what the fox said aloud..what goes on in his mind while leaving....the author never told us. I am sure he is not totally convinced of what he told out loud.
The human mind too acts similarly...in that sense the conflict is more between what we show to the external world to satisfy our ego .. and what we actually think about it.
It can become a handicap only if you actually start believing what you have been telling to others and ignoring your own perception of it.
Of course, thats why it is called a conflict - a conflict between what we believe to satisfy our ego or for whatever reason and the actual truth.
Everyone is alike when it comes to truth and love. It's the ego that differs. That difference is where the beauty of human lies(pun intended) :)
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