Self-deception

"Humanity’s ability to deceive itself is very remarkable and has attained a great extent, with tragic and unnecessary consequences."

"You cannot have a fanciful, romantic view of life in the Universe if you are to understand it and prepare for it accordingly. You must have wisdom and sobriety. You must be without self-deception in this matter."

"Many people in the face of this simply capitulate and go back into their compromised state where they will not feel what they feel. They will not know what they know. They will just try to make the best of the situation. Perhaps they will be philosophical regarding it and say, “Well, wherever God wants me to be, I will be,” as if God is the source of their problems. Or they will try to make a situation that is not working look better than it is by highlighting its benefits and its potentials and so forth.

These are all forms of self-deception, of course, but one of the reasons that people take this form of action, which is not in their best interests, is to avoid dealing with what they will feel within themselves. They are afraid of their own feelings. Having never really built a deep relationship with themselves, now they are afraid of what is inside of them—afraid of anger, afraid of grief, afraid of feeling out of control. And this, of course, is the source of much mental illness and human incapacity."

See Also

Honesty

Self-talk

Further Study

• Discerning False Messengers (March 21, 2000)

• Building the Foundation for a New Life: Self Confidence

• Steps to Knowledge, Step 5:"I believe what I want to believe."