:: COMPARE ::
The short answer
Hypocrisy is claiming a virtue or belief you do not actually hold — a charge about you, whether or not anyone is watching. Dissonance is the clash between your own cognitions, and the private discomfort that clash produces — and the difference matters, because dissonance is a normal mental state everyone experiences, not an accusation.
Side by side
| Aspect | Cognitive dissonance | Hypocrisy |
|---|---|---|
| Is | A feeling | A judgement |
| Who notices | You | Someone else |
| Moral weight | None | Accusatory |
| Universal? | Yes | No |
What each one means
Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort you feel when two of your beliefs conflict — or when what you did doesn't match who you think you are — and the pressure that discomfort creates to make the mismatch go away.
Full definition of Cognitive Dissonance →The contrast above sets out how Hypocrisy differs from Cognitive Dissonance on the points that actually matter.