Do you ever feel a nagging sense of discomfort when your actions don't match your beliefs? For example, you might tell a small white lie even though you value honesty. That uneasy feeling is known as ...

"We can be blind to the obvious, and we are also blind to our blindness." –Daniel Kahneman Cognitive dissonance, a psychological phenomenon first identified by Leon Festinger in 1957, refers to the ...

Cognitive dissonance can make abusive behavior difficult to recognize and respond to. Understanding what happens in the brain ...

You've been presented with two viable options for a new career. The first option is what you've always wanted—the role sounds like a perfect fit. But the second option comes with higher pay and better ...

In my roles as a CIO, entrepreneur, investor and Professor (I teach a course at Berklee called “The Innovator’s DNA”), I think about innovation constantly. I know from personal experience (”What ...

Cognitive dissonance refers to the psychological discomfort that arises when an individual holds two or more conflicting cognitions—attitudes, beliefs or behaviours—simultaneously. This tension drives ...

Have you ever been out and about, perhaps tackling the Christmas shopping list, and felt a bit thirsty? You buy a drink—say, one that comes in a plastic bottle—and quench your thirst, only to find ...

Do you keep second-guessing your decisions after you’ve made them? Immobilizing yourself? Berating yourself when you finally decide on something? This can be a normal albeit painful way to make ...

Do you ever get that nagging feeling of discomfort when your beliefs and actions don't quite line up? Like when you swear you'll stick to your budget but can't resist buying that new pair of shoes? Or ...

Thomas Plante (@ThomasPlante) Augustin Cardinal Bea, SJ professor of psychology at Santa Clara University, is a faculty scholar with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and an adjunct clinical ...

For many investors following the evolving headlines of the Middle East conflict, there’s a temptation to try to time the markets in response to good days and bad days. Jumping in and out of the market ...