Lucy Freaks Out by Crush Sancho on Night Cafe.
I don’t know if I mentioned this, but I want to write a few children’s stories about human behavior. I don’t know how to rhyme, so I’ll try to explain human stuff to these young immature minds.
While I enjoy writing about random stuff, I find one’s creativity and word bank are put to the test when constructing a story for young curious minds. The child’s attention is hard to grab and keep. I know I can’t draw a damn circle to save my life, so I hope to gain mastery of the written word to capture their attention.
Today, I present you with a short story that explores cognitive dissonance. This story is not for children but I’m going to clean it up soon. Is it bad? Possibly but I wanted to give this a shot here on Substack1.
Let me know what you think and share this with anyone who doesn’t want to hear about biases making daily choices for them.
The Case of the Missing Cookies
This is the story about Lucy and some bomb-ass cookies.
Lucy loved cookies… I mean she LOVED them! She loved them so much that she would sneak into the kitchen and eat them when her mom was not looking. She knew it was wrong to do that but could not resist the sweet, crispy, and salty treats. Who the hell could?
One day, Lucy came home from school and saw a plate of freshly baked cookies on the counter. Chocolate chip and sea salt cookies were her favorite. They smelled so good and looked so tempting. You know you can smell it through the screen now, I bet. She wanted to have one, or maybe two, or maybe three. But she also remembered that her mom had told her not to eat any cookies before dinner. She said they would spoil her appetite and make her teeth rot. Lucy’s mom showed her some pictures of teeth rotting online, possibly traumatizing her for life.
Lucy felt a tug in her chest. She wanted to obey her mom, but she also wanted to enjoy the cookies. She felt confused and unhappy. She did not know what to do.
This annoying ass tug, boys and girls, is an example of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when you have two thoughts or feelings that are opposite or different from each other. It makes you feel uncomfortable and stressed. You want to make them match, but you do not know how. We all experience this in our daily lives. No of you are above this behavioral bias.
Anyways, back to our story…
Lucy thought for a while. She decided to eat one cookie. Just one. “It would not hurt. Teeth rot doesn’t happen after one cookie!”, Lucy whispered to herself. Her mom was tripping! She reached for the plate and grabbed a cookie. She took a bite and felt a burst of sweetness in her mouth. It was delicious. She felt happy and satisfied.
But then she heard a stern, but soft voice in her head. It said, “Lucy, you should not eat cookies before dinner. You are breaking the rules and being dishonest. You are a bad girl.” That voice sounded like her mother’s. Lucy hates hearing that stern voice. It gives her the creeps.
Lucy felt a pang in her stomach. She felt guilty and ashamed. She did not want to be a bad girl. She wanted to be a good girl. She wanted to make her mom proud.
But she also wanted to eat more cookies. They were so yummy and irresistible. She felt torn and unhappy. She did not know what to do. Damn you, cognitive dissonance!
This is another example of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when you do something against your beliefs or values. For example, Let’s say your friends make fun of a new student who doesn’t speak English, and they want you to do the same. You remember that your teacher told you to be kind to your classmates. You want to listen, but you don’t want your friends to bully you, so you join in on the teasing. Fuck being nice! After bullying the foreign kid, you feel uneasy and regretful. You want to justify or change your behavior, but you do not know how.
Lucy decided to eat another cookie. Just one more. It would not matter. It’s worth it! She reached for the plate and grabbed another cookie. She took a bite and felt a crunch in her mouth. Pow! An explosion of flavor and a big grin plastered on her face. Her Mom’s cookies are bomb as hell!
But then she saw a picture on the fridge. It was a picture of her and her mom. They were smiling and hugging. They looked so happy and loving. Lucy felt a squeeze in her heart. She felt sad and sorry. She did not want to hurt her mom. She wanted to love her mom. She wanted to be honest with her mom.
But she also wanted to eat all the cookies. They were so good and tempting. She felt conflicted and unhappy. She did not know what to do. Screw you, cognitive dissonance!
Cognitive dissonance is what makes you feel embarrassed and sorry. You want to avoid or explain away the contradiction, but you do not know how.
Lucy said, “Who cares? Cookies are life! Mom doesn’t understand! She can always bake more!”. She decided to eat the rest of the cookies. All of them. She’ll live with the consequences. She reached for the plate and grabbed the remaining cookies. She stuffed them in her mouth and swallowed them quickly. She wished to relive this blissful moment over and over again.
But then she heard a sound at the door. It was her mom. She was coming home from a stressful day of work. She would see the empty plate and the crumbs on the counter. She would know that Lucy had eaten all the cookies. She would be angry and disappointed. Lucy felt a shock in her brain. She felt scared and nervous. She did not know what to do. She’s bracing herself for that ass-whooping. What the fuck, cognitive dissonance? You’re a real pain!
This is the final example of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is when you face the consequences of your actions or feelings. It makes you feel anxious and nervous. You want to escape or fix the situation, but you do not know how.
Lucy decided to tell the truth. Mom was going to find out sooner or later. Lucy knew it was better to face this head-on. She ran to the door and hugged her mom. She said, “Mom, I’m sorry. I ate all the cookies. I know it was wrong. I know you told me not to. I know you worked hard to make them. I know you love me. But I love cookies too. I could not help it. I felt so confused and unhappy. Please forgive me.”
Lucy’s mom looked at her with a mix of emotions. She was angry and disappointed (I would be too if some dumb little kid ate all my baked cookies), but she was also surprised and touched. She saw that Lucy was sincere and remorseful. She saw that Lucy was brave and honest. She saw that Lucy was still her little girl. She said, “Lucy, I’m glad you told me the truth. I’m not happy with what you did. You broke the rules and you lied to me. You were selfish. You need to learn to control yourself and respect me. But I also understand how you felt. You were curious and hungry. You were tempted and conflicted. You had cognitive dissonance. Do you know what that is?”
Lucy nodded. She said, “Yes, mom. I learned about it today. The story man told me it’s when you have two thoughts or feelings that are different or opposite from each other. It makes you feel bad and stressed. You want to make them match, but you don’t know how.”
Lucy’s mom smiled. She said, “That’s right, Lucy. You are a smart girl. You know what cognitive dissonance is. But do you know how to deal with it?”
Lucy shook her head. She said, “No, mom. I don’t know how to deal with it. I tried to eat the cookies, but I still felt bad. I tried to ignore the voice, the picture, and the sound, but I still felt bad. I tried to hide the plate, but I still felt bad. Nothing worked. How do you deal with it, Mom?”
Lucy’s mom hugged her. She said, “Lucy, there is no easy way to deal with these thoughts. It’s a natural and common thing that happens to everyone… even me! Sometimes it’s good because it makes you think and grow. Growth is what made your mom so smart! Sometimes it’s bad because it makes you hurt and suffer. I’ve made mistakes too. The best way to deal with it is to be aware of it and to be honest with yourself. You need to ask yourself why you have cognitive dissonance and what you can do to reduce it. You must weigh the pros and cons of your choices and actions. You must consider the effects of your choices and actions on yourself and others. You must decide what is more important to you and what is more consistent with your values. You must take responsibility for your choices and actions and accept the consequences. You need to learn from your mistakes and try to do better next time. Forgive yourself and move on That is how you deal with cognitive dissonance, Lucy.”
Lucy listened to her mom. She understood what she said. She felt a sense of relief and clarity. She said, “Thank you, mom. You are so wise. You know how to deal with cognitive dissonance. I want to be like you.”
Mom then turned to look at the kitchen and said, “Now go clean up this mess and throw on your apron after.” Lucy, looked surprised and asked, “For what, Mom?” Mom said, “Because today I’m going to show you how to make my delicious chocolate chip and sea salt cookies! You better not share this recipe with anyone! Try not to eat the whole batch this time, okay?”. Lucy chuckled and nodded as she swept the floor.
“Lucy, who was the story man who told you about cognitive dissonance again?”, Mom asked.
Lucy looked everywhere for the story man. He was nowhere to be found. “I was kidding about him, Mom. I found it on the internet!”, she said with a nervous chuckle. The story man booked it, off to explain the next bias to a bunch of people who think they aren’t affected by bias. His job never ends.
Thanks for reading.
I shared this story on Medium last week, but I tweaked it just for the newsletter!