COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

(sigh)

Hang with me a minute here.

I've been reading a lot lately about cognitive dissonance (CD). Don't ask me why because I've no clue. It's just one of those things that I stumbled on which fascinated me. It's an interesting subject with varying layers of psychological ramifications, some of which are humorous.

There is, of course, a drawn-out clinical definition for CD; but basically it boils down to this:
As thinking human beings we may hold beliefs (cognitions) which are contradictory within ourselves and that psychological turmoil (dissonance) can motivate us to change our behavior.

An example of this is an experiment done years ago in disparagement humor which tested whether freely telling insulting jokes about a target group might bring about a less favorable attitude toward that group as a result of CD. Guess what the target group was. Lawyers. I had to laugh when I read about that experiment since most of us already have our own dissonance about lawyers.

So, as a blog experiment, here's a panoply of some good lawyer jokes. Read them and get into your psychological self as you do so. Then let me know if you've changed your mind about our courtroom friends. LOLOLOLOL

How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb? You won't find a lawyer who can change a light bulb. Now, if you're looking for a lawyer to screw a light bulb....

What's the difference between God and a lawyer? God doesn't think he's a lawyer.

You're trapped in a room with a tiger, a rattlesnake and a lawyer. You have a gun with two bullets. What should you do? Shoot the lawyer. Twice.

How many lawyer jokes are there? Only three. The rest are true stories.

What should you do if you find a lawyer buried up to his neck in cement? Get more cement.

What's the difference between a lawyer and an onion? You cry when you cut up an onion.

What do you call a lawyer gone bad? Senator.

What do you call a lawyer with an IQ of 50? Your Honor.

Okay, got it? These disparaging jokes have now made you feel guilty about your stereotypical feelings about lawyers and have changed the way you feel about them, right? LOLOLOLOL

So much for cognitive dissonance.

(sigh)