Why You Defend Bad Decisions | Cognitive Dissonance

Why do we defend a decision even after the evidence starts turning against it? Cognitive dissonance is the psychological tension that can arise when important beliefs, actions, or self-perceptions don’t fit comfortably together. In this video, we explore how self-justification can change the way we interpret evidence, why making a choice can sometimes shift our preferences, how cognitive dissonance differs from the sunk cost effect, and why changing your mind can feel like a threat to your identity. We also look at the classic Festinger and Carlsmith experiment, the methodological debate around choice-induced preference change, and what later corrected studies found. Sometimes, changing your mind isn’t admitting defeat. It’s admitting that the truth matters more than defending your past decision. QELVYNO explores psychology, human behavior, and the mind through cinematic, evidence-based storytelling. Think deeper. Observe differently. Understand the mind. #cognitivedissonance #psychology #humanbehavior