dissonance
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dissonance
A state of disagreement, contradiction, or discord between opinions, feelings, or actions. The term cognitive dissonance in psychology is especially well known.
Es gab eine deutliche Dissonanz zwischen seinen Worten und seinen Taten.
There was a clear dissonance between his words and his actions.
dissonance
In music, a combination of notes that is perceived as tense, unstable, or in need of resolution. It is the opposite of consonance.
Der Komponist setzte gezielt Dissonanzen ein, um eine unheimliche Atmosphäre zu schaffen.
The composer deliberately used dissonances to create an eerie atmosphere.
The word comes from the Latin 'dissonantia'. It contains the prefix 'dis-' (apart, un-) and the root 'sonare' (to sound). The literal meaning 'sounding apart' or 'not fitting together' explains both the musical discord and the figurative contradiction.
Die Dissonanz in seinen Aussagen war offensichtlich.
The dissonance in his statements was obvious.
'Dissonanz' (dissonance) is a word used in elevated or educated language. It is mainly used in formal, academic, or intellectual discussions.
In der Podiumsdiskussion wurden die Dissonanzen zwischen den Parteien deutlich.
In the panel discussion, the dissonances between the parties became clear.
You can recognize the difference between the meanings from the context. Words like 'kognitiv' (cognitive), 'Gefühle' (feelings), 'Meinungen' (opinions), or 'Widerspruch' (contradiction) point to the figurative meaning. Terms like 'Musik' (music), 'Komponist' (composer), 'Akkord' (chord), or 'Harmonie' (harmony) point to the musical meaning.
Der Psychologe sprach über die Folgen kognitiver Dissonanz.
The psychologist spoke about the consequences of cognitive dissonance.
In the psychological meaning, the combination 'kognitive Dissonanz' (cognitive dissonance) is a very fixed and well-known expression. The structure 'eine Dissonanz zwischen [etwas] und [etwas]' (a dissonance between [something] and [something]) is also often used.
Er empfand eine starke Dissonanz zwischen seinen Werten und den Anforderungen seines Jobs.
He felt a strong dissonance between his values and the demands of his job.
discrepancy / disagreement
Unstimmigkeit and Dissonanz can both describe a contradiction between statements, feelings, or actions. Unstimmigkeit is the everyday, broader word and can refer to a specific discrepancy. Dissonanz places more emphasis on a psychological or inner contradiction.
Zwischen seinen Worten und seinen Gefühlen besteht eine deutliche Dissonanz.
There is a clear dissonance between his words and his feelings.
Zwischen seinen beiden Aussagen besteht eine Unstimmigkeit, weil die Angaben nicht übereinstimmen.
There is a discrepancy between his two statements because the information does not match.
