Self-deception

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Self-deception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument.

It has been argued that humans are, without exception, highly susceptible to self-deception, as everyone has emotional attachments to beliefs, which in some cases may be irrational. Some evolutionary biologists, such as Robert Trivers, have even suggested that, because deception is such an important part of human behaviour (and animal behaviour generally), an instinct for self-deception can give a person a selective advantage: if someone can believe their own "lie" (i.e., their presentation that is biased toward their own self-interest), the theory goes, they will consequently be better able to persuade others of its "truth."

This notion is based on the following logic. In humans, awareness of the fact that one is acting deceptively often leads to tell-tale signs of deception. Therefore, if self-deception enables someone to believe their distortions, they will not present such signs of deception and will therefore appear to be telling the truth.

It may also be argued that the ability to deceive, or self-deceive, is not the selected trait but a by-product of a more primary trait that is selected. Abstract thinking allows many evolutionary advantages such as more flexible, adaptive behaviors and innovation. Since a lie is an abstraction, the mental process of creating a lie can only occur in animals with enough brain complexity to permit abstract thinking.

See also

• Affect display
• Cognitive dissonance
• Distancing language
• Doublethink
• Double blind
• Indoctrination
• List of cognitive biases
• Point of no return
• Propaganda
• Rigour
• Self-handicapping
• Self propaganda
• Subjective validation
• True-believer syndrome
• Wishful thinking

External links

• Skeptic's Dictionary entry on self-deception
• Arbinger Institute - a consulting organisation based on Terry Warner's work on self-deception

Books

• Leadership and Self Deception, by Arbinger Institute - talks at length about self-deception and its implications for leaders - in personal and public life.
• Anatomy of Peace - Resolving the Heart of Conflict, by Arbinger Institute

Journals

• Teorema, Vol. XXVI/3, Monographic on Self-Deception: Conceptual Issues, Autumn 2007
• Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 20 (1), 1997

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Last updated on Saturday February 23, 2008 at 21:36:38 PST (GMT -0800)
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