Believe Quote by Steven Pinker
“Trivers, pursuing his theory of the emotions to its logical conclusion, notes that in a world of walking lie detectors the best strategy is to believe your own lies. You can’t leak your hidden intentions if you don’t think they are your intentions. According to his theory of self-deception, the conscious mind sometimes hides the truth from itself the better to hide it from others. But the truth is useful, so it should be registered somewhere in the mind, walled off from the parts that interact with other people.”
About This Quote
Self-deception protects the conscious mind by hiding true intentions, but truth must be stored somewhere.
In simple terms: Mind hides true intentions.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden motives.
Themes
self-deception
truth
mind
psychology
consciousness
intentions
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- leadership
- negotiations
- self-reflection
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
self-awareness
psychological defense
Questions to Reflect On
- What lies do you tell yourself?
- How does hidden truth affect decisions?
A Different Perspective
Over-reliance on self-deception can impair honesty.
![“The process [of mass-media deception] has to be conscious, or it would not be carried out with sufficient precision, but it also has to be unconscious, or it would bring with it a feeling of falsity and hence of guilt… To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact…” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/460/george-orwell-57_accounts_the-process-of-mass-media-deception-has_2989169.jpg)
