Self delusion is the favorite pastime of our existence. Always convenient to lay blame on others (relatives, acquaintances, strangers) or uncontrollable events (weather, economy) for our misfortune than to look in the mirror for the actual culprit. Unfortunately mental health practitioners propagate this syndrome by indulging it, allowing the subject to whine about the howling winds of their world, even providing sympathy to further entrench the subject in their fantasy. Why is it so difficult to accept personal responsibility for oneself – is this not the first milestone of self awareness?

“Self-deception fools all of the people all of the time.”  Marty Rubin

Why in the last 20-30 years has there been a massive upswing in mental health disorders, and interestingly, a corresponding increase in Munchausen Syndrome? Has the human race devolved, with our brains less effective than before – doubtful. The potential answer is information overload provided by the advent of the Internet. Bored people are now exposed to relentless negative information, can fascinate about various disorders, and continually incorrectly self-diagnose. Most “mental disorders” cannot be diagnosed by any test, instead we are given a questionnaire with a series of interpretative questions. For example, when attempting to diagnose depression or anxiety we are asked about our sleeping habits, if poor, chalk one up….however, why not ask about diet, exercise, and other physical factors affecting sleep? The reason is most mental health practitioners and their patients are in a confirmation bias dance, with both wanting to maintain the delusion of a mental disorder. The patient gets attention and sympathy, the practitioner a job.

“There is no psychology; there is only biography and autobiography.” Thomas Szasz

In the classic book Freakonomics, it depicts how incentives and disincentives influence human motivations. One example cited is of real estate agents working on your behalf to sell your property are inclined to convince you to take an offer slightly below the asking price versus waiting for a better offer. The reason is for say an extra $10,000 sale price, which would be significant to the seller, the agent only achieves an additional fee of $300-600, not worth their time, continued advertising, opportunity cost, etc. What is the incentive to the mental health practitioner to resolve the subject’s issue in one session (which in many cases is possible, especially if they are simply self-deluded)? They would lose their client and more importantly the client’s fee. This is also experienced with the production line of family doctors offices in Canada, as they are paid for each patient they see…thus, many diagnoses are incorrect, prescriptions provided more often, than if there was a different incentive framework (e.g., salary) that changed the motivation dynamic.

Yet not all self-delusion is negative. Many self-deluded people simply believe they are something they aren’t, and can do the impossible, which results in incredible pursuits and sometimes achievements. The key; however, is self awareness. The state of both subconsciously and consciously knowing oneself, what motivates one, the de-motivators, and deciding upon a course of action.

“The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Free yourself of negative self delusion in this moment. Release the angst you perceive against a cast of characters and situations. Relish in the self delusion that the impossible is possible. Become your own Deus ex Machina, suddenly revealing your personal god who can instantly resolve your narrative, and start anew from this moment.

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