Unlock The Energy of Cognitive Dissonance

Final week, I used to be listening to Outsmarting Your self, an episode of the Hidden Mind podcast. It was concerning the cognitive dissonance concept. Cognitive dissonance arises when motion conflicts with perception. This occurs on a regular basis. All of us wish to be our genuine selves and behave accordingly. Nevertheless, our actions contradict our beliefs often. When this happens, we both have to alter what we do or justify our actions by some means. Extra individuals discover it simpler to justify their actions relatively than change. Wow, that’s very attention-grabbing! Is there a manner to make use of cognitive dissonance to assist us obtain our objectives?

Train Dissonance

Right here is an instance of cognitive dissonance. I do know train is significant for a wholesome life. I’m getting older and I wish to get pleasure from my retirement for a few years to return. Train and eating regimen will assist me keep wholesome. That’s why I set a well being aim each New Yr.

This 12 months, my well being aim was to stroll 8,000 steps per day. To this point, my common is 5,465 per day and it’s dropping. I do know I ought to stroll extra, however I’m not. That is cognitive dissonance. Failing to stroll extra creates discomfort and I have to justify it by some means. Oh sure, I can do this. I’ve many excuses.

I’m too busy.
The climate is dangerous.
I simply bought a motorcycle. I can bike extra as a substitute of strolling.
I’m nonetheless wholesome. I can train extra once I’m older. Yeah, proper…
This can be a dangerous aim. I’ll set a extra achievable well being aim subsequent 12 months.
My step counter simply broke. Yay! I don’t should face my failure anymore.

Sadly, I can provide you with loads of causes to keep away from strolling extra. The underside line is that this aim is slipping additional and additional behind each month. I really feel dangerous about it, however not dangerous sufficient to place extra effort into it. Like most individuals, I’m too lazy. Our North American way of life makes it too straightforward to keep away from strolling. (That’s one other excuse!)

There could be a strategy to repair this. I want to make use of one in every of my core beliefs to assist obtain my well being aim. One among my strongest core values is frugality. Subsequent 12 months, I’ll be part of a health club. As soon as I spend some cash, I’ll have a really robust drive to get worth out of it. It ought to be the motivation I have to train extra. I hate losing cash.

FIRE core beliefs

What about FIRE? Is there a manner to make use of cognitive dissonance to assist obtain monetary independence and retire early?

I’m very fortunate as a result of my core values and behaviors already align with the FIRE rules. This made FIRE a lot simpler for me than most individuals. I’ll checklist a number of right here.

Frugality – I’ve all the time been frugal. My household didn’t have a lot cash once I was younger. We saved cash in no matter manner we may. Frugality caught and I nonetheless dislike spending cash unnecessarily.
Optimism – Tomorrow might be higher than at present. This perception permits me to avoid wasting and make investments constantly. Our funding will develop and life might be higher sooner or later. You must be optimistic or else you received’t retire early. Lots of people have to really feel safe they usually received’t take any probabilities.
Unconventional pondering – I don’t thoughts being unconventional. Some individuals want to slot in. They care loads about what individuals assume. I’d relatively go my very own manner. This enabled me to retire from my engineering profession once I was 38. All of my school mates are nonetheless slaving away within the salt mines. They’ve totally different values.
Self-driven – I don’t want plenty of exterior motivation. That is essential for early retirement. Some individuals have a tough time with retirement as a result of their entire identification is wrapped up with work. However early retirement was very straightforward for me. I don’t want individuals to inform me what to do. I stored busy and I haven’t been bored but. There are such a lot of issues to do every single day. Retirement might be harder for individuals who want exterior motivators.

These core beliefs assist me FIRE. I act accordingly so no cognitive dissonance right here. Sadly, FIRE is tougher for most individuals. Within the U.S., we’re conditioned from a younger age to get pleasure from spending cash and dwelling for at present. It’ll be a lot tougher to realize monetary independence in case your core values don’t align with the FIRE rules. You would possibly pressure your self to avoid wasting extra for some time, however it received’t final. In the event you want acceptance, overlook about it. Nevertheless, there’s nonetheless hope for those who assume saving for retirement is a good suggestion.

Unlock the ability of cognitive dissonance

There’s a good trick from the Hidden Mind episode that may assist. Psychologist Elliot Aronson informed the listeners concerning the hypocrisy paradigm. He used cognitive dissonance to assist individuals act based on their beliefs. He requested individuals to advocate for one thing they imagine in. After they did that, they grew to become extra prone to take motion.

Within the episode, they gave three examples.

Utilizing condoms.
Taking shorter showers to preserve water.
Voting.

The individuals believed these had been good concepts, however lots of them didn’t observe by way of. Nevertheless, extra individuals took motion after they grew to become an advocate. Within the voting experiment, they requested individuals to name 3 mates and informed them to vote. After they did this, the callers had been more likely to vote. By publicly endorsing the thought, you’ll be extra prone to take motion. No one desires to be a hypocrite.

FIRE is sweet

In the event you imagine FIRE is a good suggestion, however are having a tough time following by way of. The way in which to push ahead is to inform everybody about FIRE. Inform them you’re saving, investing, and also you’re in your strategy to monetary independence and early retirement. Changing into an advocate will make it easier to attain your aim. Oh wow, that’s what I’ve been doing for 11 years! I stumbled onto this hypocrisy paradigm factor with out understanding it. Being a FIRE blogger has been very useful for me. It stored me on this path and I’m very pleased with my life. If I can do it, anybody can.

In order that’s the tip from this weblog submit. In line with Aronson, the mantra is – “If I can do it, anybody can.” Inform individuals this and also you’re extra prone to observe by way of with your individual motion. It’s a rattling good trick. Nevertheless, it’s a must to already imagine FIRE is a good suggestion. This may make it easier to observe by way of. It received’t change your perception for those who assume FIRE is a crackpot thought.

What do you consider this hypocrisy paradigm concept? It sounds legit to me. Possibly I ought to begin an train weblog…

*Passive earnings is the important thing to early retirement. Lately, I’m investing in multifamily properties with CrowdStreet. They’ve many tasks throughout america. Go examine them out!

picture credit score: Ben White

Joe began Retire by 40 in 2010 to determine the best way to retire early. After 16 years of investing and saving, he achieved monetary independence and retired at 38.

Passive earnings is the important thing to early retirement. This 12 months, Joe is investing in business actual property with CrowdStreet. They’ve many tasks throughout the USA so examine them out!

Joe additionally extremely recommends Private Capital for DIY traders. They’ve many helpful instruments that may make it easier to attain monetary independence.