Cognitive dissonance is a concept defining the gap between what I say (or what I know) and what I do. Often seen in its negative side, I will here try to present its positive side.
Cognitive
dissonance is also an action potential. In the sense that this
dissonance represents the tension existing between what we know,
the information we have, and our actual behavior. If this dissonance is too great, so is the pain,
and the brain sets in motion the mechanism of protection from denial so
as not to have to face this too stressful dissonance. But by becoming
aware of this,
this tension becomes a potential to set in motion towards a becoming consistent with our values and our ideals.
In the current context, the radical reduction of this gap can occur following an awareness,
possibly leading to conscientious objection materialized through the conscious action.