01-10-2015, 09:37 PM
In Psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress caused by holding two conflicting or contradictory beliefs.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14