The unconscious process of maintaining false beliefs despite contradictory evidence
Core Idea: Self-deception is the psychological mechanism by which individuals maintain false beliefs about themselves or the world, despite evidence to the contrary, typically to preserve self-image or reduce cognitive dissonance.
Key Elements
Psychological Mechanisms
- Motivated reasoning: Evaluating evidence in ways that support desired conclusions
- Confirmation bias: Seeking and prioritizing information that confirms existing beliefs
- Selective attention: Focusing on evidence that supports preferred narratives
- Memory distortion: Unconsciously altering memories to align with current self-concept
- Reality denial: Rejecting uncomfortable facts despite clear evidence
Common Manifestations
- Gap between stated intentions and actual behaviors
- Maintaining unrealistic self-assessments despite feedback
- Attributing failures to external factors while claiming credit for successes
- Inability to recognize patterns in repeated personal mistakes
- Resistance to information that challenges favorable self-views
Functions and Purposes
- Preservation of self-esteem and positive self-image
- Reduction of anxiety and psychological distress
- Maintenance of sense of control and agency
- Protection from painful truths or difficult changes
- Social impression management
Overcoming Self-Deception
- Developing metacognitive awareness (thinking about thinking)
- Seeking objective behavioral data rather than relying on self-perception
- Establishing accountability through trusted external feedback
- Practicing radical honesty in private self-assessment
- Creating systems that make self-deception more difficult
Additional Connections
- Broader Context: Cognitive Biases (systematic patterns of deviation from rationality)
- Applications: Personal Auditing (techniques for honest self-assessment)
- See Also: Cognitive Dissonance (discomfort that often drives self-deception)
References
- Trivers, R. (2011). The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life
- von Hippel, W., & Trivers, R. (2011). The evolution and psychology of self-deception. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 34(1), 1-16.
#psychology #self-awareness #cognitive-bias #personal-development
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- From: Sivers-Hell Yeah or No