[mabcat]

Closest name I can think of is "commitment and consistency". People tend to behave as they have behaved in the past, doing so is both a cognitive shortcut and a source of positive emotion. We go to great lengths to maintain consistency (see also: confirmation bias), and being consistent even in the face of conflicting evidence feels better than being inconsistent but right.

From Cialdini: "Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision."

[hn_version_0023]

In my head -- and I'm no doctor, believe you me! -- I call this "emotional inertia", which is a phrase I've borrowed from one of the many doctors who has treated me for depression.