It occurred to me the other day that the expectation of consistency in all aspects of our life may have lead to a collective state of cognitive dissonance, which, depending on how well we recognize this state in ourselves, could contribute to surprising (to ourselves and others) behavior, depression, obsession, over-disciplined and regimented lifestyle, or other swings to extremes of some fashion.

People are full of contradictions. We compartmentalize - neat in one aspect, sloppy in another; perceptive in some situations, strikingly blind in others; rational about some decisions, irrational in all else; and so on. Yet the expectations from our family, co-workers, friends, and employers may be that our "principles" or whatever we publically declare ourselves to be should guide us like rails through all situations, no matter what. We may have these same expectations of ourselves, further deepening the dissonance between who we are, and who we and the world think we ought to be.

Expecting consistency implies the understanding of all inputs that affect the output (six sigma, anyone?). That is a tall order; "know thyself" is at best a life-long quest, and without that knowledge, why should we expect unfailing consistency? Every minute brings new context to events and circumstances, and with every action we learn something new about ourselves. The pressure to stick to our past personae and proclamations is unfair to our present and future selves, and reduces us simply to the sum of past experiences and labels; authentic evolution becomes more difficult. Expecting all-encompassing consistency from ourselves and others is a sure path to disappointment and frustration.

Become aware of your own inconsistencies, when they happen next; it might be a thought, an action, a reaction, or a feeling. That inconsistency is like the solar flare, leaving the confines of your self-accepted boundaries and letting you glimpse into what is really making you tick; the train went off the rails for a reason, and if you pay attention you may learn something that otherwise would have gone unnoticed or suppressed.

Once recognized, perhaps the inconsistency can be understood and reshaped instead as an expected, and desired, element of some other trait or characteristic previously undiscovered.

Easier said than done, of course :).

In case you're wondering, i've purposefully kept clear of providing details about what prompted this article. I was afraid that too many specifics would define my meaning too narrowly and preclude some folks from applying ideas expressed here to their own situation, which may be different from mine as night is from apples.