Cognitive Dissonance...

I am feeling a little blah these days, and I can only be funny when I am happy. Check back later...

Well....let me give it a shot...

I've been thinking recently about how certain behaviors have a funny way of creeping in and becoming a part of a person's idea of self. This works in obvious ways, such as if a person frequently performs well in math class, he might go on to consider himself a "math person." If a person often gets compliments her clothes, she might think of herself fashionable. I was noticing recently that certain aspects of "Ellen" have started to creep in without my awareness.

For example, I have gotten many shocked reactions from people when I show them my mountainous heaps of clean, unfolded laundry in my laundry room. I feel I am starting to subconsciously think to myself, "I shouldn't fold that load of laundry. Ellen doesn't fold laundry. That would be so hypocritical of me!"

Step 1/Step 6

Patrick finally broke down and brought all the clean laundry upstairs so that we can have a constant reminder of how much laundry we need to fold. This is a Step 1 of getting it folded. Step 2 will be to start thinking about folding it. Step 3 will be to actually think about folding it. Step 4 will be to get a phone call saying that someone is planning on dropping by our house. Step 5 will be to panic-stricken-ly (yes, I just made up that word) carry it all back to the laundry room so that it is out of sight for our visitors. Step 6, see Step 1.

Step 5 is crucial because it is very important for my actions (or lack thereof) to coincide with my ideas of self. Otherwise, I would be all out of whack. And I didn't just make that up. That is a real psychological phenomenon...

...Well, maybe I can be kind of funny...