---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our brains are very, very good at…"
description: "\"Our brains are very, very good at self-delusion. What happens is, it releases the stress hormone cortisol in the brain, which leads to foggy thinking, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/daniel-levitin-2988_brain_our-brains-are-very-very-good-at-self-de_2924970.png"
---

#  Our brains are very, very good at self-delusion. What…

![“Our brains are very, very good at self-delusion. What happens is, it releases the stress hormone cortisol in the brain, which leads to foggy thinking, so you're not even able to judge well whether you're working well or not.” quote by Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/daniel-levitin-2988_brain_our-brains-are-very-very-good-at-self-de_2924970.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/daniel-levitin-2988_brain_our-brains-are-very-very-good-at-self-de_2924970.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/336/daniel-levitin-2988_brain_our-brains-are-very-very-good-at-self-de_2924970.png)

> “Our brains are very, very good at self-delusion. What happens is, it releases the stress hormone cortisol in the brain, which leads to foggy thinking, so you're not even able to judge well whether you're working well or not.”

[Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Self‑deception triggers cortisol, clouding judgment and impairing performance evaluation.

**In simple terms:** Self‑deception harms thinking and work assessment.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and mitigate self‑delusion.

Themes

psychology neuroscience productivity stress decision making

Mood

analytical cautious

Type

educational practical

When to use this quote

- workplace
- personal health
- stress management
- decision making

Key Concepts

cortisol cognitive bias self‑awareness performance monitoring

Questions to Reflect On

- What signs show you’re self‑deluding?
- How can you reduce cortisol spikes?

A Different Perspective

Cortisol response varies; not all stress is detrimental.

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[Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Self delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-delusion/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

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