The Theory of Dissonance, Self-Perception, and Primordial Values

This paper arises from the repeated observation of persistent internal conflicts across different domains of human experience—clinical, social, educational, and relational—that cannot be adequately explained through isolated analyses of behavior, diagnosis, or discrete events. In many cases, individuals rationally understand their situation and recognize dysfunctional patterns, yet this understanding does not translate into sustained change, resulting in a gap between conscious awareness and behavioral repetition. In response to this phenomenon, the paper proposes an integrative theoretical–interpretive model aimed at analyzing subjective experience through the dynamic interaction of three fundamental dimensions: the individual’s basal identity (primordial values), conscious self-perception, and the subjective perception of social recognition. The model does not seek to establish linear causal explanations or generate universal predictions, but rather to describe states of internal tension—identity dissonance—that emerge when these dimensions come into conflict. Such tensions are not conceived as anomalies of the psychic system, but as signals of potential reorganization of the identity system, particularly relevant in contexts of change, transition, or social pressure. The model is presented as an open, non-technical and non-prescriptive conceptual framework, intended to organize the interpretation of internal conflict and to facilitate academic and clinical discussion on processes of psychic change.