Cognitive Dissonance

This is NYT on cognitive dissonance.

I think this is the most important concept in psychology, at least for someone with no formal training in the field. I still remember how liberating and enlightening I felt when I first came cross this a couple years back. Probably we are more like a rationalizing being than a rational one, and a healthy dose of self-delusion is by all means beneficial, and, in my opinion, necessary for us to cope with the ups and downs in the life.