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Cognitive dissonance/compartmentalization
Invincible_summer
Heavy Metal DhammaWe(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
I've been thinking about this topic because of various conversations I've had with people over the past few weeks. A girl I was talking to was exalting the glories of yoga - how she does it every day and how it's great at stress relief and becoming mindful, yet I've seen her stress out and speak/act unmindfully more than others who don't do yoga. A friend of mine believes in saving monkeys and stray dogs/cats (and talks about how sad it is that humans don't care about these animals), but shamelessly glorifies eating meat. These are fairly mundane examples, but I think my point is made.
I know that we as humans are a messy tangle of contradictions. No one is perfect. However, I think it's problematic to have these double-standards and contradictory actions. Shouldn't we live according to our beliefs? If we don't, what use are our beliefs but a way to bolster our identity and ego?
I think many Buddhist teachings (not that I can name specific ones, as I'm not that scholarly) basically discourage this, as we should be living the Dhamma in every aspect our lives. The Eightfold Path is such because we have to walk it, not just read it. Mindfulness is for both on and off the cushion. Monks at Wat Pah Nanachat do more daily chores than seated meditation for a reason.
Do you think compartmentalization or cognitive dissonance have a place?
I know that we as humans are a messy tangle of contradictions. No one is perfect. However, I think it's problematic to have these double-standards and contradictory actions. Shouldn't we live according to our beliefs? If we don't, what use are our beliefs but a way to bolster our identity and ego?
I think many Buddhist teachings (not that I can name specific ones, as I'm not that scholarly) basically discourage this, as we should be living the Dhamma in every aspect our lives. The Eightfold Path is such because we have to walk it, not just read it. Mindfulness is for both on and off the cushion. Monks at Wat Pah Nanachat do more daily chores than seated meditation for a reason.
Do you think compartmentalization or cognitive dissonance have a place?
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Is there a place for these things? Obviously it's there. I tend to think my own delusions and deceits are just a tad different than the glaring ones exhibited by 'those others'. I have unique reasons and needs, you see, thus when I do X my intentions are different or more benign than theirs are.
It looks (in my own mind) like my thoughts determine my actions.
Often though, it works the other way around. My thoughts are attempts to rationalize my behavior.
When I talk about who I am (so reasonable, so friendly, not perfect though, but modest…) I am talking about who I am inside of my head; about my self-image, my delusions.
Behavior is something else.
I think there’s some famous research about people giving electrical shocks to fellow participants in a test. Eighty percent of all people will give extremely painful and sometimes lethal electrical shocks when an authority (the researcher for instance) tells them it is okay and that they should proceed.
But when you ask people how they will behave they will all tell you that they are the twenty percent who will stand up to the authority and stop the test without hurting someone.
F. Scott Fitzgerald.
But George Orwell called it Doublethink, where the people had no awareness that they were holding opposing ideas.
I think that that lack of awareness is the dangerous part of it. It can lead to all kinds of weird behaviour, like you mentioned @Invincible_summer
It's a fun game to point out to people when they do something opposite to their claimed beliefs, and I do love doing it! Hehe... but it won't make you popular!
It's a Latin translation of 'Walk the Talk'.
(I think there may be variations, but her uncle is a Catholic priest - apparently, he gave her the latin term.)
Usually the ones that are shouting the loudest are
trying to convince/remind themselves.. Yes, they can
get on our nerves...but that's when
we remember to get back to worrying about what and
how we (ourself) do things. If you have determined that
you will carry yourself in a certain way most of the time...
stick to that. It will keep you busy enough. Too busy to
correct others, in fact. hahaha
...just take note of your assessment, try not to judge,
and keep it movin'
Was getting to click 'insightful' on everyone . . .
One of the best ways to combat our tendency to judge others is to find value in the opposite of what we strongly believe.
Nobody tries to display ignorance, opinion, conflicted judgments but we do. This becomes more subtle but is always there apart from the Heavenly Buddha who is just delightful and luvvly.
Eventually we might develop the ability to scrutinise our certainties objectively and dispassionately.
Mr Cushion always knows when I am wrong and judgemental. Every time I open my mouth. Easy for him not to say . . .
Unconsciously self-centered to
Consciously self-centered to
Consciously not self-centered to
Unconsciously not self-centered.
Each step is a step on the path moving forward and brings us closer to the final result. Similarly, when I began meditating, my posture was 'wrong', my breathing was 'wrong', etc., but had I not been willing to take those first unskillful steps, I would never have reached a point beyond.
Something else that came to mind while I was typing this was a story about William Penn (who the American state of Pennsylvania is named after). He was converted to Quakerism which was notably non-violent. The fashion of the day was for men to wear a sword by their side but William began to feel uncomfortable with this obvious sign of violence while he was committed to non-violence. He asked the man who converted him what he should do and the man suggested that he wear it as long as he could.
Shortly thereafter, William determined that he could no longer wear it.
What part of this is not acceptable to you?
Don’t follow thoughts and ideas but find the connection with your inner wisdom – the wisdom without words - instead.
It can’t get any woollier than this, I suppose.
But I’m serious –sort off. I really think our self-images are pretty worthless and it’s better to just forget about them.
I’m looking for the reasons for my actions in my heart; or deeper even in my gut, just not in my head. Not too much anyways.
Feel free to shoot me. I know this doesn’t sound very solid.
If a Buddhist were in the experiment mentioned above they would get to a certain point where they would question the morality of harm they were causing. A religious follower would most likely have a tendency to go too far, because religious followers are, at least to some significant measure, dependent on authority figures. Having gone too far, they would (unconsciously) experience cognitive dissonance, and depending on their degree of self-reliance, values, and other factors, they would make an unconscious decision to either admit the mistake to themselves and stop, or to justify their actions and continue. Remember, good people don't do bad things, so if a good person (a religious person) did a bad thing it MUST be someone else's fault. The person getting the electrical shocks must be a bad person in some way and deserving of the harm caused to them. Never think that you're a good person.
How does a Buddhist live according to their beliefs without making those beliefs an identity (aka ego) bolster?
Easier said than done! I guess this is where "wise companions" come in handy.
Perhaps beyond an unrelenting practice,
the wisest companion can simply be a fearless questioning of everything,
if only to coax ones identity into facing the fruitlessness of it's own dream.
Live like a real human, inconsistent and wonderfully messy.
Enjoy your freedom and ability to think one thing, but to do something else.
It's odd and I know what you mean. It screws with my head when I see someone talk about how they could never eat a dog while munching a burger.
One thing I'll say is don't obsess over it because that kind of thing has driven folks mad... I recommend reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" if you havn't already.
Where Cognitive dissonance/compartmentalization gets its place: You beat me to it, @Nevermind! You hit the nail on the head about the religious. They are "tied" (religio) to ideas and superstitions that make them feel in many ways removed from the masses of humanity or what-have-you. And, of course, we all find ourselves there at least at times. Life would be Unthinkable without having some delusions of Grandeur some of the time, would it not?
It is only in hindsight that we can see some of our errors, but when we find ourselves caught up in the midst of activities, "We ARE the Good Guys!"