Responding to Cognitive Dissonance

Honoured with five literary awards in Science, General Nonfiction and Self-Help.
2026 San Francisco Book Festival · 2026 StoryTrade Book Awards

Every year, the cultural zeitgeist latches onto a new psychological buzzword. Remember when boundaries were trendy? Or how about when gaslighting was everywhere? Well, now cognitive dissonance is back—and in an increasingly polarised world, people often use it to explain why the other side just doesn’t get it. But what happens when your own beliefs are challenged? Maybe you catch yourself defending a position even though you're no longer sure about it. Or perhaps someone presents evidence you can’t refute, but you’re certainly not going to accept it from someone like that. So you discredit their character instead.

Responding to Cognitive Dissonance is for anyone who recognises those moments and wants to understand what’s happening beneath them. This book draws on neuroscience, psychology and evolutionary biology to explore why a challenged belief can feel threatening, how predictability and safety shape our responses, and how social privilege can affect what we’re willing to see. If you’ve ever wondered why changing your mind can feel harder than it sounds, this book offers an answer.

Inside, you’ll find:

• A clear explanation of cognitive dissonance and the ways we respond to it
• An exploration of the brain and body’s responses to uncertainty and threat
• Questions that help you examine your own beliefs and reactions
• Practical tools to help you respond when discomfort takes hold

Available in multiple languages
French : La dissonance cognitive et nos façons d’y répondre.
Spanish (eBook only) : Cómo responder a la disonancia cognitiva
German (eBook only) : Umgang mit kognitiver Dissonanz
Italian (eBook only) : Come rispondere alla dissonanza cognitiva
Portuguese (eBook only) : Como responder à dissonância cognitiva