Blog Entry #3

     Every time I ride a bike, I experience cognitive dissonance.  I don't ride one very often, but when I do, I don't wear a helmut.  Yes, it is the right thing to do and I do know that it could prevent me from serious injury if an accident were to occur.  BUT, O never wear helmut because it "looks stupid."  That is honestly why I don't.  In the long run, who cares if it looks stupid.  Even though I truly know it is the right thing to do, I don't and I always experience that "feeling of discomfort" because my beliefs are not matching up with my actions.
     I also have a serious shopping addiction.  When I am at home or at school, I will usually go shopping at least once or twice a week and 90% of the time, buy something.  Now, I do work a lot during the summer so I have money that I could spend but I know that I should really be saving it.  Every time I buy something, I experience cognitive dissonance and try to justify my behavior.  I take part in internal justification, trying to convince myself, "oh, it was on sale, its okay that you bought it."  Most of the time the justification of my behavior and actions works, but sometimes I end up returning it.
     The other day I experienced the "c" part f the ABC's of attitudes.  I was drinking "0 calorie" gatorade and I told my roommate that I didn't understand how there is 0 calories in it, its sweet.  She said there actually isn't (being the kinesiology major and in nutrition class) she proceeded to tell me how there really are calories.  My attitude towards the drink turned from positive to negative.  I just did not want to drink it or buy it anymore.  During this scenario, I was experiencing a cognitive attitude, how I thought about the gatorade completely changed throughout the conversation.