Imagine you really want a cookie, but your mom said no. You might tell yourself it's not that good, just to feel better. That’s self-deception! It’s like telling yourself the truth isn’t the truth anymore, and it helps you avoid feeling bad in the moment. Self-deception is when people believe things that aren’t really true, all to feel happier or less stressed.
Examples
- A kid tells themselves the cookie isn’t as good because they wanted it so badly.
- A student says, 'This test wasn’t hard,' even though they got most of the answers wrong.
- An adult believes their job is fine, just to avoid confronting that they might be failing.
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See also
- What are bad decisions?
- What is Imaginary threat creation?
- What is apophenia?
- How Do Colors Affect Our Mood?
- Do dreams act as a form of memory replay?