I don’t know when self-deception first entered the picture of human cognition, but it’s clear that it has firmly taken root. We possess an uncanny ability to hold two beliefs that don’t—can’t—reside together. Not only do we house them in separate corners of our minds, but we also deliberately keep their contradiction hidden, even from ourselves.
Take democracy, for instance. On the one hand, we uphold the ideal of democracy, cherishing its legitimacy. Yet, when our preferred candidate loses, we might simultaneously hold the belief that democracy itself is illegitimate. These two ideas remain isolated, never allowed to confront one another. We don’t build bridges between them—we build walls.
This phenomenon is more than a quirk of human cognition; it’s a survival mechanism that likely evolved to help us manage existential threats, maintain emotional stability, or foster social cohesion. However, as society has shifted, so has the role of self-deception. What was once adaptive has become a mechanism for perpetuating harmful contradictions, particularly in today’s world, where rigid ideologies dominate. This matters because the self-deception that once served us no longer does. To free ourselves, we must begin by recognizing it—by bringing it into the light of conscious awareness.
Philosophers like Sartre called this phenomenon Bad Faith, describing it as a way of denying the truths of our own existence. But even that term falls short. Self-deception isn’t merely misplaced faith; it’s a deluded faith, fragmented by contradiction and incapable of seeing the whole. It’s like playing an endless game of hide-and-seek with ourselves, yet never truly finding what we’re hiding. We create identities, ideologies, and justifications to shield ourselves from the discomfort of reality. But deep down, we know these fragmented beliefs don’t align.
This is why stepping back is so essential. Only by clearly examining the ways we fragment and conceal our truths can we move from this fractured faith to one that embraces the fullness of our lived experience. Only then can we be free of the need to cling to comforting delusions.
But self-deception doesn’t just manifest in deliberate ways. It’s also embedded in the very language we use. Our conceptual ideals—good and bad, right and wrong—operate as opposites in a dialectical game. Yet, in truth, they exist on a much grayer scale of human consciousness. These ideals don’t fit every situation, but we cling to them, forcing them to apply where they don’t belong.
You might ask, Why even explore this? Isn’t it trivial? But it’s not. When we ignore this cognitive dissonance, we comfortably settle into the small self—a space where we can hide inconvenient truths from ourselves. It feels safe, but it’s a cage. If we can take a step back and see these contradictions clearly, we can live in the truth of our experience without clinging to conceptual ideas.
So look for it. Look for the dissonance within you. Search for the angst, dissatisfaction, and unease that words can’t quite capture. These feelings often arise because we avoid inconvenient truths about our self-deception. Once you see it, step back, smile, and put it all down. In doing so, you free yourself from the karmic load you carry—not just your own, but humanity’s collective attachment to conceptual idealism. You can find your home in the present moment by setting it down. You can look into another’s eyes and see no separation. From that place, you’re free to meet life as it is, not as you wish it to be.
But it begins with this: Look at the contradicting ideals you’ve refused to address. See them clearly. When you do, they naturally cancel and fall away.
It’s not easy—if it were, we’d all do it once and for all. But it’s worth the effort. So look at it!
