Grace Seeker
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I came across an interesting book that puts forth some thought provoking ideas. While one could apply them to any aspect of life, including one's religious views, they weren't written with that in mind, so I'm not encouraging anyone to read anything of that sort into them.
The big thesis is that we all practice a little bit of self-deception, fooling ourselves into believing things that we know are not true, but living with them as if they were and blithely ignoring the internal conflict an act such as lying to one's self should produce.
The author, Ten Elshof, says, "If you caught yourself in the lie, you'd miss out on the satisfaction that comes from believing, really believing, [the lie you're hanging onto in that moment]." He says, "Life offers me a deal. … The beliefs I have about myself and others do not need to be true to bring me satisfaction. I only need to believe them." He thus candidly concludes, "So it shouldn't be a shock to us that many have taken the deal. … And what's alarming is that, had I taken the deal [of managing to actually believe things in the face of evidence to the contrary] it would seem to me … that I had not."
Convoluted thinking? Yes. But how else, other than convoluted thinking, are we going to be able to get away with the act of self-deception?
Elshof suggests people deceive themselves in at least five ways:
1.Attention management. We selectively pay attention only to the claims that accord with our perception of the truth—and ignore all the data that threaten to undo it.
2. Procrastination. We say (my words not Ten Elshof's), "It's okay for me not to do that now because I will do that soon," when in reality we have not resolved to get that done.
3. Perspective switching. We borrow the perspective of others, as King David apparently did when for more than a year he looked at himself quite guiltlessly from the vantage point of those who had no idea of his complicity in the murder of Uriah.
4. Rationalization. We justify ourselves with irrelevant reasons that don't truly apply to the situation.
5. Re-sentiment. We re-order our sentiments by denying that we care about something dear to us or by somehow cloaking our vulnerability.
The big thesis is that we all practice a little bit of self-deception, fooling ourselves into believing things that we know are not true, but living with them as if they were and blithely ignoring the internal conflict an act such as lying to one's self should produce.
The author, Ten Elshof, says, "If you caught yourself in the lie, you'd miss out on the satisfaction that comes from believing, really believing, [the lie you're hanging onto in that moment]." He says, "Life offers me a deal. … The beliefs I have about myself and others do not need to be true to bring me satisfaction. I only need to believe them." He thus candidly concludes, "So it shouldn't be a shock to us that many have taken the deal. … And what's alarming is that, had I taken the deal [of managing to actually believe things in the face of evidence to the contrary] it would seem to me … that I had not."
Convoluted thinking? Yes. But how else, other than convoluted thinking, are we going to be able to get away with the act of self-deception?
Elshof suggests people deceive themselves in at least five ways:
1.Attention management. We selectively pay attention only to the claims that accord with our perception of the truth—and ignore all the data that threaten to undo it.
2. Procrastination. We say (my words not Ten Elshof's), "It's okay for me not to do that now because I will do that soon," when in reality we have not resolved to get that done.
3. Perspective switching. We borrow the perspective of others, as King David apparently did when for more than a year he looked at himself quite guiltlessly from the vantage point of those who had no idea of his complicity in the murder of Uriah.
4. Rationalization. We justify ourselves with irrelevant reasons that don't truly apply to the situation.
5. Re-sentiment. We re-order our sentiments by denying that we care about something dear to us or by somehow cloaking our vulnerability.
