What Is Cognitive Dissonance?

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Meaning grows from practical adapting to the world, not just abstract philosophy.

Animals and humans seek an understanding of the world that is consistent with their environment.

Cognitive dissonance reflects the need for a worldview consistent with the person's environmental demands.

One of the biggest mistakes psychologists make when talking about meaning is treating it as though it is some mysterious, purely philosophical process unique to human beings. Meaning is often discussed as something abstract, difficult to define, and disconnected from basic biological functioning. But comparative psychology suggests something very different. Research across animal species indicates that the human search for meaning and purpose is not separate from nature at all. It is deeply rooted in the same adaptive drives that organize behavior across the animal kingdom.

Adaptive Drives Across the Animal Kingdom

Non-human animals do not appear to reflect on meaning in the abstract existential sense humans do. A dog is not contemplating the purpose of existence. A dolphin is not reading philosophy. Yet animals clearly organize their lives around goals, patterns of behavior, attachment, environmental control, and adaptive functioning. Research on primates, dogs, dolphins, elephants, rodents, and many other species demonstrates that animals function better psychologically when they can effectively engage with their environment, solve........

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