8. The Stories We Tell to Protect Ourselves

Human beings like to think of self-deception as something rare.A dishonest politician.A manipulative partner.A corrupt executive.A propagandist knowingly spreading falsehoods.But most self-deception is quieter than that.Far more ordinary.Far more human.Most people are not consciously lying to themselves all day long. In fact, the most powerful forms of self-deception often operate precisely because the individual experiences themselves as sincere.The mind protects coherence automatically.This protection begins early and continues throughout life.