The psychological discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes simultaneously.
From Latin 'dissonantia' meaning 'disagreement,' from 'dissonare' (to be discordant), from 'dis-' (apart) + 'sonare' (to sound).
Cognitive dissonance is that uncomfortable feeling when your actions don't match your beliefs — your brain really hates contradictions!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.