578: We Know Better—So Why Don’t We Do Better? The Truth About Cognitive Dissonance With Dr. Lawrence Palevsky

About this episode

Dr. Lawrence Palevsky discusses cognitive dissonance and its impact on health and parenting decisions.

What happens when what we believe—and what we actually do—don’t quite line up? This week on the Wise Traditions podcast, pediatrician Dr. Lawrence Palevsky explores the concept of cognitive dissonance—what it is, why it’s so common in modern life, and how it quietly shapes decisions around health, parenting, and trust in authority. Dr. Palevsky has spent decades encouraging parents to think critically, ask better questions, and reconnect with their own intuition. In this episode, he explains how cognitive dissonance shows up in everyday choices—from the foods people eat to the medical decisions they make—and why it can be so difficult to reconcile conflicting beliefs, even when the stakes are high. The conversation examines the tension many feel between what they’ve been told is “safe” or “normal” and what they instinctively sense may not be right. Dr. Palevsky discusses how fear, conditioning, and social pressure can keep individuals stuck—and what it takes to step outside that framework and begin thinking independently. This episode offers a thoughtful look at awareness, responsibility, and the courage to question long-held assumptions. It serves as an invitation to slow down…

People in this episode

Host: Weston A. Price Foundation

Guest: Dr. Lawrence Palevsky

Topics covered

• cognitive dissonance
• health decisions
• parenting
• trust in authority
• critical thinking

Keywords

• cognitive dissonance
• health choices
• parenting
• authority
• critical thinking
• fear
• social pressure

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Weston A. Price Foundation

More episodes of Wise Traditions

• 582: The Cost Of Silence With Jeffrey Tucker · June 8, 2026 · 45 min
• 581: What’s Happening To Our Food? Pharma Crops, GRAS, And The Truth About Labels With Dr. Sina McCullough · June 1, 2026 · 55 min
• 580: Pulling Back The Veil On Chronic Illness with Dr. Sina McCullough · May 25, 2026 · 47 min
• 579: The Ayurvedic Approach To Postpartum Healing With Christina Eck · May 18, 2026 · 49 min
• 577: The Last Wild Protein: What You Need to Know About Salmon with Steve Kurian · May 4, 2026 · 41 min
• 576: There Is No Deathless Diet: The Truth About Food, Farming, And Our Future With Abey Scaglione · April 27, 2026 · 42 min