Examine a mismatch the character recognizes
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
Cognitive dissonance troubles a fictional expedition leader who values shared decisions yet chooses the whole route alone and explicitly feels uneasy about that inconsistency. An introspective journal entry examines why she wanted control and why the group's silence left her dissatisfied. The expedition leader's earlier confidence in the righteousness of her conduct becomes a question when she compares her stated principle with the choices she actually made. The writer makes the conflict audible in the character's own words, rather than expecting readers to infer a psychological state from one isolated action.
The cognitive dissonance in the scene depends on the leader noticing a conflict between her commitment and her conduct, together with the discomfort she describes. Her introspective account explores her thoughts and feelings without automatically resolving the group's practical disagreement. A renewed claim to righteousness would need to be considered alongside her treatment of the other travelers, rather than accepted merely because she announced good intentions. The next meeting gives her an opportunity to hear their preferences, allowing reflection and action to become separate but connected parts of the narrative.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.