https://www.afrayedmind.com/p/creamed...

I have written a full blog post on how to spot cognitive dissonance. This is one of the best examples of what someone who is experiencing cognitive dissonance looks like. You can see his brain is unable to accept this new fact and just completely shuts down.

Remember, this isn't due to stupidity, although he should have known what the law was in the first place, but his reaction is a human reaction. We all experience cognitive dissonance, frequently - just that this is a very obvious case.