Lying to Yourself

Self-deception is a tricky topic. I know that I am lying to myself on a daily basis, probably dozens of times per day, but I believe these lies, so I don't really know what I am lying to myself about. Only later, when things fall apart do I see the erroneous beliefs I had been grasping. This situation has happened repeatedly in my life with judgments on skill level to things I believe I fundamentally desire or could do without. From a philosophy of the mind and psychology standpoint, the logistics of self-deception are an interesting phenomena, but from an ethics standpoint the fundamental cause is the truly interesting issue. When people lie to themselves can it be innocent, or is it an indicator of a deeper failure of morals? Further, what kind of implications does this have for all other judgments a person makes?

Self deception seems to come in a number of different forms, but in general has to fit the definition that a person both has the knowledge to realize that the thought or belief is false, but refuses to acknowledge this, instead acting on and truly believing the opposite. Pretending to believe that something is true does not qualify and must be excluded from this definition. Basing all forms off this definition, self deception could be a form of wishful thinking, delusion, faith, or even weakness. Each case would be considered differently from a moral point of view.

Wishful thinking seems like a common type of self-deception; everyone wants to believe that they are better at x skill or have more familiarity with y task than is actually true. When actually believed, this kind of self-deception is often also considered the most innocent. In many occasions it only affects the person with the false beliefs, and sometimes even then does not negatively affect the person. This mild form of self-deception also has the tendency to be short-lived, making it even more innocent. A person suffering from wishful thinking still maintains their ability to judge other issues and ideas as they are in actuality.

Delusion as the basis for self-deception is much more serious than wishful thinking. Delusion implies that there is a deeper mental disconnect happening that perhaps is causing a widespread pattern of self deception, often with very little control involved. Although, again, without control this is a seemingly innocent activity, the delusion is a sign that the entire perception of reality may not be real. For this reason, self-deception based upon delusion implies that other decisions may not be sound either. A person suffering this kind of self-deception can not be considered completely responsible, but neither can they be trusted to make sound moral judgments in other areas.

Faith is a touchier form of self-deception; many people would reasonably argue that faith is not a form self-deception at all. Faith can be seen in two ways - either it can be considered to go against evidence, as perceived by those who do not have it, or it can be considered beyond evidence, an argument often made by those who do have it. The latter would, for obvious reasons, not see faith as a form of self-deception, while the former would seem faith as a direct denial of logical evidence. In motivation, faith is a belief borne out of a respect for a higher power than ourselves. It can hardly be stated that such religious beliefs are malicious; to the contrary, religious beliefs often include tenets of understanding and non-violence towards others. In most cases of faith, it seems that the intent is innocent. With respect to being allowed to make other moral judgments, faith alone is not enough to prove that a person is incapable of making sound ethical considerations. While specific religions will often influence actions in a manner that is not considered moral by all (e.g. killing in the name of religion), faith itself seems pure of motive and not necessarily influential in other moral judgments.

The case of weakness appears very clear cut. Weakness, almost by definition, is not considered a good trait. A weakness of will leading to self-deception can not be positive for the person involved. Further, it reflects badly on the person's ability to make other moral decisions, as was the case with delusion. As a society, we tend to attribute trust to people who have the moral will to face ethical decision and situations that are not easy in an honest manner. People who have a weakness of will cannot be trusted in the same fashion.

Can people who are subject to self-deception be trusted? When and why?

This post is based on "Self-Deception" by Paula Boddington and "Lying to Oneself" by Rafael Demos, as well as readings from Sissela Bok's "Lying : Moral Choice in Public and Private Life".