[zaro]

> cognitive dissonance has become a buzzword and its incorrect usage is exemplified here. those people aren't struggling with a value conflict, they just have different values than you do

But maybe, just maybe, their values are incompatible with the values that build up a society. And here is where the cognitive dissonance starts.

> the path to togetherness, thoughtfull discussion, and mind-changing lies with honest recognition and good-faith debate, not name-calling.

That only works when all sides want this. I think it's pretty onbivous that any large corporation, doesn't want this kind of discussion. It mean admitting them doing a lot of cr*p in the name of profit.

[yuliyp]

Cognitive dissonance is a single person holding two contradictory views at once. A person holding views that contradict yours is not cognitive dissonance. "The values that build up a society" are not a universal truth.

[fogetti]

That's actually incorrect. Cognitive dissonance means that someone's behavior, attitude or thoughts, beliefs are inconsistent. Or in other words someone participates in an action that goes against his beliefs, ideas, values. Which is exactly what the grandparent post refers to:

> They all have their own stories about how it's okay to exploit weakness in people.

This is definitely inconsistent and in contrast with almost all the above mentioned entities' mission statement and their corporate values.

[fogetti]

In other words, beside my previous comment you missed the part of the discussion where we concluded (see the grandparent's post again) that both the value and the behavior originates from the same source.

This has nothing to do with an external third person's view.

[antibuddy]

You could argue in both directions actually, since they are part of society and they likely don't want to be held to the same standard as they treat their users. (still not necessarily a contradictory view, but it gets bendy)

However in general I do find cognitive dissonance badly used, since the experience of cognitive dissonance is usually the positive part, since you notice a problem in your view point. The resolution on the other hand ... So it would be better to just say contradiction and then it's obvious that one has to give a better explanation of it.