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Cognitive Unrest: Why Conflicts Can Make You Unable to Make Decisions
In our daily lives, we are often faced with moments where we need to make choices, and decisions can seem even more difficult when faced with conflicting feelings. Ambivalence is the simultaneous holding of conflicting beliefs or emotions about an object or situation, which makes our decision-making process unusually complex.
Ambiguity is a state in which a person experiences conflicting reactions, beliefs, or emotions that exist simultaneously.
This psychological state often stems from multiple thinking. For example, when people have both positive and negative opinions about a product, this conflicting belief makes it difficult for them to make a purchasing decision. “I like the design of this phone, but I think it’s too expensive.” Such thoughts make decision makers hesitant and even unable to make a conclusion.
Psychologists point out that this type of contradiction can be divided into many forms, including personal internal "perceived contradiction" and objective "potential contradiction".
Perceived contradictions and potential contradictions
Perceived ambivalence, also known as subjective ambivalence, refers to the ethical uneasiness a person experiences when his or her evaluation of something is obviously conflicting. For example, feelings of both liking and disliking a politician often lead to "subjective contradiction". Possible contradictions (i.e., latent contradictions) occur when individuals simultaneously acknowledge both positive and negative evaluations of an object, even though they are not yet aware of the conflict. This is also a more direct way to measure possible conflicts in an individual's mind.
When individuals' attitudes reach a high level of conflict, their behavioral predictions become unstable and difficult to decide.
This situation can lead to delayed decision making or even avoidance of action. This psychological discomfort becomes particularly obvious especially when decisions need to be made.
Cognitive Dissonance and Emotion Regulation
Cognitive dissonance theory further expands the concept of ambivalence. According to this theory, people experience psychological discomfort when they encounter information that contradicts their beliefs, which drives them to seek relief. The most common mitigation strategies involve changing behaviors, changing beliefs, or finding new frames of thought that rationalize inconsistent emotions.
Research shows that psychological insecurity is particularly acute at moments of greatest conflict, and once this happens, it often leads to a deep reflection on people’s beliefs.
For example, when faced with the consequences of a choice, we may begin to doubt our past choices, which may cause individuals to experience conflicting emotions and behaviors at the same time.
How to manage cognitive contradictions
To effectively manage this cognitive paradox, we need to learn to be aware of our own inner conflicts. Psychological research shows that recognition and acceptance of this state are key. First, we need to acknowledge the existence of contradictions and try to sort out these confusing emotions and beliefs and find the reasons for their existence. When faced with conflicting beliefs, try to find an explanation that reconciles both.
Learning to accept feelings of conflict may be the first step to clarifying your thoughts and improving your decision-making.
In addition, listening to other people's views and obtaining different opinions may also help us break the deadlock and gain fresh perspectives and solutions.
Conclusion
Conflict is an inevitable part of the human thought process, and it can be extremely confusing when we need to make a choice. Faced with various contradictions in life, are you willing to accept this psychological state and find effective ways to manage it?
