cognitive dissonance

noun Psychology.
anxiety that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible attitudes, beliefs, or the like, as when one likes a person but disapproves strongly of one of his or her habits.
Origin:
1960–65

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
cognitive dissonance
 
—n
psychol an uncomfortable mental state resulting from conflicting cognitions; usually resolved by changing some of the cognitions

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Cognitive dissonance is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cognitive dissonance
1957, developed and apparently coined by U.S. social psychologist Leon Festinger (1919-1989).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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