6 Ways You Lie to Yourself
Of all deceivers fear most yourself!
Søren Kierkegaard
You are a liar.
Of course, I am too. But you already knew that.
What you didn’t know is that your mind is constantly lying to you.
Here are six ways that your conscious and subconscious mind lies to you every day.
You believe that you are objective.
Maybe you’ve noticed that “the news” is completely different depending on where you get it.
One cable news channel tells you that a particular politician is doing an outstanding job. Another says that their performance is the worst in recent history.
The problem is that you believe that you are able to listen to those sources and determine who is telling the truth.
Not surprisingly, the one whose perspective aligns closely with yours seems to always be the most accurate and honest.
The confounding thing is why those who have differing views can’t see that when it is so obvious to you.
You believe that you make your decisions using logic and research.
The truth is that all of us always make our decisions emotionally.
Then we use logic and research to justify the decision to ourselves and others.
Even now, your brain is telling you this is not true. But, if you pay close attention, you can see this process in other people.
It is harder to see in yourself.
You believe that you are good at reading minds.
You wouldn’t say this out loud. But you act as if it is true.
When your partner fails to do something they promised, you know exactly why they didn’t keep their word.
When two coworkers are talking and occasionally looking over at you, you know they are gossiping about you.
When a driver accidentally cuts you off in traffic, you know they are just being careless.
You believe that what you see is reality.
This lie is deeply ingrained.
“But I saw it with my own eyes.”
Eyewitness testimony is notoriously inaccurate.
Your brain detects a stream of photons hitting your retina, selects the information that seems to be most important, makes several assumptions based on past experience, and sends its interpretation to your conscious mind.
And you accept this as reality.
You believe that you are an imposter.
You have a dark, dangerous secret.
You are not as competent as everyone believes you are.
If they knew who you really are and what you are truly like, they would no longer like and respect you.
So you try to fake it until you make it.
But the gap between who they think you are and who you think you are gets wider and wider, and the fear that you will get found out gets stronger and stronger.
What you don’t know is that everyone experiences that same internal struggle.
(Yes, even that person.)
You believe that you are limited by your past.
Maybe you had a difficult childhood.
Maybe you made some bad choices.
Maybe you invested years in a job that was unsatisfying.
Your past does not determine your future. You determine your future.
The only thing that is limiting you is your belief about your past.
Leave your past in the past and start today to become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
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