Why do people lie to themselves more than they lie to others?

Question

I have started noticing how often I tell myself stories that justify my behavior, protect my ego, or let me avoid uncomfortable truths. It seems like self-deception is incredibly common. Why are humans so prone to lying to themselves?

caleb_green · Accepted Answer

Self-deception serves psychological protection. Accurate self-knowledge is often painful and the brain prioritizes emotional stability. Mild positive illusions about ourselves are actually correlated with better mental health than perfectly accurate self-assessment.

aurora_reed · Answer

The brain constructs narratives to make sense of behavior after the fact. We often act on impulse or emotion and then create a rational-sounding story to explain it. The justification is not the real cause but we believe it because we are the ones who made it up.

Why do people lie to themselves more than they lie to others?

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Why do people lie to themselves more than they lie to others?

2 answers Most votes Newest Oldest

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2 answers
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