35,000 Choices a Day: Why We Keep Making the Same Mistakes

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Jeffrey Besecker, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

People make 35,000 decisions a day. Maybe you’ve found yourself wondering — why are some of them so inherently bad?

Ever find yourself fiercely holding onto a belief—even when the facts say otherwise, or when logic doesn’t quite add up?

Why do we cling so tightly to these ideas, even in the face of obvious contradictions?

Maybe it’s time to dive into the curious ways our minds work when confronted with uncomfortable truths.

Cognitive dissonance is that uncomfortable feeling we get when we hold conflicting beliefs or when new information doesn’t fit with our existing worldview.

This discomfort can really shape the way we interpret and reinforce certain ideas, especially when we encounter conspiracy theories, logical fallacies, or distorted social beliefs.

To ease the tension, our minds often try to find ways to reduce the discomfort, like rejecting the contradictory evidence or clinging more tightly to what we already believe.

Psychologists call this “dissonance reduction,” and it’s a powerful process. It means we’re more likely to focus on information that supports our current beliefs, which can sometimes lead us to oversimplify things into black-and-white categories, even when the reality is far more nuanced.

1. Conspiracy Theories and Cognitive Dissonance

Research indicates that conspiracy theories thrive partly because of their appeal to cognitive dissonance. Conspiracy theories simplify complex problems, providing a coherent (if inaccurate) explanation that can resolve the discomfort of uncertainty or fear. A study by Douglas et al. (2019) illustrates that the allure of conspiracy theories often aligns with an individual’s need for control and certainty, qualities that reduce the dissonance felt when the world appears unpredictable or threatening. Moreover, the “illusory truth effect” makes repeated exposure to misinformation increase perceived credibility, making individuals more resistant to disconfirming evidence.

2. Social Distortion and Groupthink

Cognitive dissonance is amplified within social groups, especially when people prioritize group harmony over accuracy. Festinger’s classic theory on cognitive dissonance (1957) showed that people are more likely to align with the prevailing views of their group to reduce the discomfort of holding a dissenting belief. This tendency, often termed groupthink, strengthens social distortion, where members of a group reinforce each other’s beliefs, even when presented with factual contradictions. For example, Allcott and Gentzkow (2017) found that social media platforms exacerbate this effect, as individuals are more likely to interact with those who share their beliefs, creating echo chambers that enhance selective reinforcement.

3. Logical Fallacies and False Dichotomies

False dichotomies often simplify complex issues into “either/or” choices, a logical fallacy that allows people to sidestep cognitive dissonance by ignoring nuances and reinforcing binary thinking. Studies on cognitive biases indicate that dissonance can increase the likelihood of logical fallacies like “black-and-white” thinking, as these provide a seemingly coherent narrative and reduce the cognitive load required to process complex information.

Research by Kahneman and Tversky (1979) on decision-making processes reveals that the mind often defaults to heuristics—mental shortcuts that facilitate decision-making by simplifying reality, even when this leads to incorrect conclusions.

4. Familiarity Bias and Selective Reinforcement

Familiarity bias, the tendency to favor information that is familiar or frequently encountered, also plays a critical role in reinforcing false dichotomies and dismissing contradictory evidence. The more often a piece of information is encountered (even if false), the more likely it is to be accepted as true, as the mind conflates familiarity with accuracy. Selective reinforcement, or confirmation bias, further compounds this effect by filtering information in a way that supports pre-existing beliefs.

A study by Nickerson (1998) suggests that selective reinforcement helps reduce cognitive dissonance by minimizing the mental effort required to reconcile conflicting information.

5. Cognitive Dissonance and Familiarity Bias in Conspiracy Theories

When people believe in conspiracy theories, the need to avoid cognitive dissonance often results in a rejection of evidence that contradicts their worldview. A study by Goertzel (1994) reveals that people who accept one conspiracy theory are often more susceptible to others, as familiarity with the conspiracy mindset breeds trust in similar narratives.

This phenomenon, known as “monological belief systems,” highlights how cognitive dissonance, familiarity bias, and selective reinforcement together create a feedback loop that bolsters belief in increasingly extreme positions.

6. Empirical Research on Addressing Cognitive Dissonance

Research suggests that reducing cognitive dissonance requires fostering an environment that values open-mindedness and critical thinking over rigid adherence to pre-existing beliefs.

For instance, education programs that emphasize critical thinking and source evaluation have been shown to reduce susceptibility to logical fallacies and cognitive biases, including confirmation bias and false dichotomies (Stanovich & West, 2008).

However, changing entrenched beliefs is challenging, as doing so often requires individuals to not only confront dissonant information but also to reconcile it with their identity, social network, and worldview.

In summary, cognitive dissonance plays a central role in the reinforcement of false dichotomies, often through mechanisms like familiarity bias, selective reinforcement, and groupthink.

In a nutshell, cognitive dissonance—that inner friction we feel when reality and our beliefs don’t match up—often tricks us into seeing things in black-and-white. This can happen through habits like sticking to what’s familiar, only seeking out information that agrees with us, and going along with the crowd.

Sound familiar?

Research shows just how challenging it can be to break free from these biases, especially when misinformation (hello, conspiracy theories and logical fallacies) slips into our everyday conversations and social media feeds. But there’s good news: by building our critical thinking muscles, understanding how our minds work, and staying aware of how social circles shape our beliefs, we can start breaking the cycle.

The takeaway? Next time you catch yourself resisting new information, try asking, “Am I just sticking to what feels comfortable?” Embracing a bit of discomfort can be a powerful step toward healthier, more flexible thinking.

Resources for developing your critical, dialectic thinking skills:

LOGICALLY FALLACIOUS (false logic)

The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies

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