Cognitive Dissonance

Like about 75% of non-engineering college students, I took Psych 1 as a freshman. In that class, the professor talked about cognitive dissonance one day. You know, being confronted with totally irreconcilable ideas simultaneously. Or, as Jerry Seinfeld's agency would put, reasons for "freakin' out."

My commute foisted on me a classic case of cognitive dissonance this week. I usually drive into the Big City for work at about the same time every day. Accordingly, I occasionally see some of the same cars headed in, presumably driven by people whose schedules are roughly the same as me. Anyway, one day this week, I'm sitting there waiting to get through a stoplight and notice the following bumper stickers on the car in front of me:

"Bush/Christ 2004"

"Help Jesus Punish The Fornicating Harlots! Vote Republican!!!"

Whoa, how do you really feel? I spent the rest of the day thinking about how over the top the second one was particularly.

OK, two days later, I'm at the same stoplight at roughly the same time of the morning and I noticed the car with those bumper stickers again in the lane next to me and about two cars ahead of me. Now, given the somewhat broader perspective I had on the car this time, I noticed what kind of car those bumper stickers were on:

A Toyota Prius! A hybrid for God's sake!

OK, now what in the world was going on here?!?

The world's most committed liberal who isn't very successful at being funny? The world's environmentally-conscious religious conservative? What, what, what was I supposed to think about this? My brain nearly exploded. I was freakin' out! Cognitive dissonance, baby.