self-deceit
Lying to yourself
Self-deceit is the act of lying to oneself or refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable truths about one's own behavior, motives, or circumstances.
It differs from deceiving others in that the person both creates and believes the falsehood: His confidence was built on self-deceit about his actual abilities.
The term often implies willful blindness—choosing not to see what's plainly there.
Imaginative mental wandering
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- unrealityQuality of being imaginary
- misbeliefFalse notion held true
- daydreamConscious fantasy while awake
mirage · make-believe · idealization · misperception · misapprehension · romanticization · dreamworld · illusion
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- evasionAct of escaping detection
- disavowalRejection of connection
nonacceptance · dismissal · refusal · suppression · negation · blindness · obliviousness · unawareness
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- excusesExplanations offered for faults
- pretextFabricated motive concealing truth
- distortionTwisting from original state
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
equivocation · sophistry · casuistry · apologia · spin · whitewash · cover-up · disingenuousness
Unjustified certainty in oneself
- hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
fantasy
Imaginative mental wandering
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- unrealityQuality of being imaginary
- misbeliefFalse notion held true
daydream · mirage · make-believe · idealization · misperception · misapprehension · romanticization · dreamworld · illusion
rationalization
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- evasionAct of escaping detection
disavowal · nonacceptance · dismissal · refusal · suppression · negation · blindness · obliviousness · unawareness · overlooking
rationalization
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- excusesExplanations offered for faults
- pretextFabricated motive concealing truth
- distortionTwisting from original state
misrepresentation · equivocation · sophistry · casuistry · apologia · spin · whitewash · cover-up · disingenuousness · blame-shifting
overconfidence
Unjustified certainty in oneself
- hubrisRuinous excessive confidence
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- narcissismExcessive admiration of oneself
self-deceitself-awareness
Insight into one's psyche
self-knowledge · self-acceptance · clear-sightedness · self-examination · self-understanding
self-deceitself-awareness
Insight into one's psyche
insight · mindfulness · self-reflection · emotional intelligence · self-understanding
self, deception, deceive, deceit, deceived, deceitful, deceiving, deceiver, deceitfulness