Outsmarting Yourself

<p>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 <a href="https://psychology.ucsc.edu/about/people/faculty.php?uid=elliot">Elliot Aronson</a> 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? </p><p><i>This is the second part of our series on cognitive dissonance. Listen to the first episode: </i><a href="https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/how-we-live-with-contradictions/"><i>How We Live with Contradictions</i></a><i>.</i></p>