After we make a decision, we often tell ourselves a story about why our choice was the right one to make. It's a mental process that psychologist Elliot Aronson calls self-justification. These rationalizations can sometimes lead us to excuse bad behavior or talk ourselves out of a poor choice. But are there also times when self-justification can be used for good?
This is the second part of our series on cognitive dissonance. Listen to the first episode: How We Live with Contradictions.
The Fake Bride
Josh Gitelson: My Unsung Hero
One Head, Two Brains
Deb Pierce: My Unsung Hero
Why Conversations Go Wrong
Unsung Hero: A Cold Nevada Night
Humor Us
An Unfinished Lesson
Useful Delusions
Made of Honor
The Story of Your Life
The Story of Stories
Radically Normal
The Snowball Effect
The Match
Creating God
Is It Better to Know?
Love is Blind
How They See Us
The Easiest Person to Fool
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My Unsung Hero
A Slight Change of Plans
No Stupid Questions
Code Switch
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