Whoever said honesty is the best policy needed a reality check. Why you should lie to yourself.
My love of delusion crystallized when I learned about a psychological theory called depressive realism. This holds that the people with the most accurate view of the world are the clinically depressed. Studies show they have a correct perception of how much they control the outcome of events — namely, very little. (Not all scientists buy this theory; but they're probably just deluded.)
More recently, I read the article in a magazine about Dennis Kucinich. The man actually believes he's going to be president someday. Which is an astounding feat of self-delusion — and, I'm convinced, the only thing that keeps him going.
Self-delusion is not a defense mechanism or coping technique. It's the most human thing we have. It's faith, existential courage, essential to mixing a decent drink, loving our spouse, writing a sentence. It's what separates us from the animals and the boring.
I'm not just advocating positive thinking; I'm advocating a willing suspension of reality. Irrational exuberance. It's not a matter of seeing the glass as half full or half empty. In reality, the glass is usually 5 percent full and 95 percent empty. But you have to force yourself to believe that it's half full so that you can engage and try to solve problems and bring the real percentage up to 10. Because otherwise it'd drop down to zero.
My love of delusion crystallized when I learned about a psychological theory called depressive realism. This holds that the people with the most accurate view of the world are the clinically depressed. Studies show they have a correct perception of how much they control the outcome of events — namely, very little. (Not all scientists buy this theory; but they're probably just deluded.)
More recently, I read the article in a magazine about Dennis Kucinich. The man actually believes he's going to be president someday. Which is an astounding feat of self-delusion — and, I'm convinced, the only thing that keeps him going.
Self-delusion is not a defense mechanism or coping technique. It's the most human thing we have. It's faith, existential courage, essential to mixing a decent drink, loving our spouse, writing a sentence. It's what separates us from the animals and the boring.
I'm not just advocating positive thinking; I'm advocating a willing suspension of reality. Irrational exuberance. It's not a matter of seeing the glass as half full or half empty. In reality, the glass is usually 5 percent full and 95 percent empty. But you have to force yourself to believe that it's half full so that you can engage and try to solve problems and bring the real percentage up to 10. Because otherwise it'd drop down to zero.
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