Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2018-04-11
I’m a bit trifled by the inclusion of “cognitive dissidence” in the DB.
ISTM that all examples of “cognitive dissidence” given there refer to the idea that one doesn’t like to reshape one’s views when given information that contradicts them.
The is a clear difference between those two phenomena, and I’d vote for two different locutions.
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I thought it was an eggcorn of “cognitive dissonance” which I take to mean the inner conflict brought about by entertaining simultaneously two incompatible notions. This term gets over a million googlehits. “Cognitive dissidence” on the other hand gets a very respectable 9,000+ googlehits and is given a meaning which matches the mis-hearing.
(I am unfamiliar with the term “cognitive discordance” which I imagine means much the same as “cognitive dissonance” and am surprised to find it has only 61 googlehits.)
My understanding is that certain people have misheard “cognitive dissonance” as “cognitive dissidence” and have created a role for this new eggcornified word. If you have difficulty in accepting some of the entries in the database you’re in good company – many of us have similar difficulties. I was a little unwilling to reply to your post as I have no expertise in either linguistics or psychology but I must thank you for uncovering the resulting possible new eggcorn, “cognitive diffidence!”
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Cognition and its dissidents?
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If the eggcorn is causing dissonance, then dissent you must, but it just reinforces the point! Forgive me for enjoying the poetic irony, it’s just too good!
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