Four Ways to Lie to Ourselves
Repression
This is the act of refusing to think about something by trying to forget about it. Whatever “it” is will be buried deep inside us and usually come out sideways.
Projection
This is the act of associating negative qualities about ourselves with other people. This usually results in alienation and hypocrisy.
Delusion
This is the act of refusing to accept the reality of the situation or pretending things are different than they really are. This results in a clear disconnect from others and the world and results in isolation and loneliness.
Denial
This is the most common form of lying to ourselves. It is simply the act of refusing to accept the truth. Denying reality completely sets us apart from others because we are untrustworthy and perceived by others as unsafe.