You're right — these are classic strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance, the mental discomfort we feel when our beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours are inconsistent. Below is an enriched, Notion-compatible list with additional strategies, along with your original points structured for clarity.


🔄 Ways to Reduce Cognitive Dissonance

📍 Cognitive dissonance arises when our actions contradict our beliefs or values. To restore psychological harmony, we often engage in various mental or behavioural strategies.


✅ 1. Change the Behaviour

🔹 "I will eat less sweet."

Change the action to align with beliefs, removing the source of dissonance.


✅ 2. Change the Conflicting Cognition

🔹 "I’m allowed to have some cheat meals once in a while."

Alter the belief to make it consistent with behaviour.


✅ 3. Add New Cognition

🔹 "I’ll work out extra to burn it off."

Introduce new reasoning that justifies the behaviour.


✅ 4. Deny or Minimize the Conflict

🔹 "This candy isn't even that unhealthy."

Reject or downplay the inconsistency.


🔄 Additional Ways to Reduce Dissonance


✅ 5. Trivialize the Dissonance