State of stress due to holding conflicting views/attitudes/behaviour at the same time. A textbook example of cognitive dissonance is the fable of the fox and the grapes. Fox desires grapes hanging high from a tree. After attempts to get the grapes and failing , he says that they are sour rather than admitting he has failed. In doing so he reduces his cognitive dissonance (his stress for a) desiring grapes and b) frustration at not getting them). he has reduced cognitive dissonance by trying to give rationale for his failure.