Self Delusion
If you are an aspiring writer or artist and if you are like me, you probably live in constant self-doubt. You keep analyzing your work and wondering: is it good enough? Should anyone care?
Common wisdom sees self-delusion as a flaw. One of the worse things you can say to a person is they are delusional, meaning they either don’t see reality as it is or they have a distorted view of themselves. However, the frontier between delusion and self-confidence is blurry at best.
The vast majority of humans lie to themselves. They think they are better drivers than average, better workers than average and better people than average. They justify their actions even when these are unjustifiable. They always find a mental scenario which depicts them as the hero in the story.
Self-deception is actually necessary. We need our little everyday lies, because without them reality would be a harsh, brutal place that most people just wouldn’t be able to bear. Because staring at the facts in the face is something the majority of the population is just not prepared to do. And they probably shouldn’t.
I have found a lot more depressive atheists than religious people. This could happen because religion makes you happy, but it could also stem from the fact that religious people are obviously more capable of self-deception. I don’t think I need to explain why. It may also shed some light on the fact that so many scientists and mathematicians have struggled in this regard: by definition, people who search manically for the truth are good candidates at feeling the weight of reality upon their shoulders.
In the end, it’s just a matter of choice. You can choose lies and bliss. Or you can choose truth and misery.
