What keeps us rooted to miserable choices? Cognitive dissonnace. However, knowing this, we can use this to our advantage when making a decision. This knowledge can also help you when you work with customers to help them make purchase decisions.

Excerpt from the article:
"What is required is for people to choose to be committed to leaving. When attention is fixed on this task, the likelihood of doing it is much greater, even when the choice is initially unknown. In fact, brain research has shown that when we make a choice, the rewarding effect of that choice on our brains is greater after we make that choice than before we do this. It is as though our brains seek to affirm for us that our new choice is better. In fact, it does appear that we feel better about our choices after we make them than before. The balance between rationalizing a bad choice and making a commitment prior to being certain is what keeps most people stuck."