Cognitive Dissonance and COVID-19

I have been struck in several recent conversations by how clever our minds are at deceiving us, warping reality to fit our preconceived notions of what kind of people we believe ourselves to be. These cognitive distortions are dangerous when it comes to the spread of COVID-19.

Ego Distortions

On one hand, people feel they are behaving responsibly and claim they are doing a great job of following safety protocols to reduce their risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19. However, in the next moment, they report recent outings that are clearly contrary to the safety protocols. More strikingly, they seem not to notice the dissociation. Our egos are so good at rationalizing any potential slip-ups to keep us feeling righteous. But, in doing so, these ego distortions put us and others at risk.

COVID-19 and cognitive dissonance.

Source: Domonick Wegesin

In one such conversation, a friend shared with me her family’s diligence in wearing masks and social distancing but also reported being bewildered by the fact that several members of her immediate and extended family had contracted COVID-19. I had scrolled through multiple instances of potential exposures on her social media, so it seemed she may have been suppressing awareness of her risk-taking. A recent study showed that such avoidance of COVID risk information has been shown to be correlated to cognitive dissonance.

What makes us feel so invincible? Why is it so hard for us to change our behavior to fit the need of the hour?

Habit, for sure. We’re used to spending time with more friends and family around the holidays. The traditions of shared Thanksgiving meals and Christmas parties are long-standing and, for some, happen as a matter of course.

But, in addition to habits, our own cognitive distortions contribute to putting us at risk. We show a confirmation bias and ignore any potentially harmful behavior. We think, “just this one get-together,” “just this one short weekend get-away,” or “I’m sure this person has been safe like me.” We rationalize anything that is potentially risky and distort ourselves into believing that we’re being safe. And, COVID-19 flourishes.

Mindfulness Perspective

Mindfulness helps us develop a more objective perspective on our experience, including our thoughts. As you dive into your holiday habits, you can ask yourself: “What am I rationalizing as safe?” “What am I ignoring to feel OK about my choices?”

Of course, it’s easy to judge the actions of others, like the anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, and Rona ravers. But, to foster safety, it is more helpful to see the seeds of their behaviors that are also in us. For instance, identify examples of the cognitive dissonance they use to rationalize their choices in your own behaviors. By acknowledging our own risky choices, we start to move from “us vs. them” to a more accurate "we." For it is together that we have a better chance of surviving this pandemic.