This tendency for beliefs to get even stronger in the face of contradictory evidence, known as the backfire effect, is even more pronounced when the information presented is ambiguous or unclear. A Stanford study presented participants with strong feelings about the death penalty with a sheet that set forth evidence both for and against capital pun

person holds two cognitions—ideas, attitudes, beliefs, opinions—that are psychologically inconsistent.”15 The dissonance causes mental discomfort that our minds seek to reduce.

Cognitive dissonance describes the mental discomfort you experience when the best you – the person you really want to be – doesn’t match up with the person you currently are. Let’s say you aspire to be an expert in Tai Chi and a friend asks whether you practise Tai Chi daily. Answering no would create cognitive dissonance because it would highlight