#155: How to be delusional
So perhaps happiness is synchronising one’s personal delusions of meaning with the prevailing collective delusions. As long as my personal narrative is in line with the narratives of the people around me, I can convince myself that my life is meaningful, and find happiness in that conviction. This is quite a depressing conclusion. Does happiness re
... See moreYuval Noah Harari • Sapiens
“The deeper and more pervasive an individual’s positive illusions,” writes Jopling, “the greater their effect of diminishing his range of awareness of himself, other people, and the situation confronting him.” Jopling argues that self-deception strategies are reality filters that organize what people understand into self-relevant and self-serving p
... See moreChris Hedges • Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
‘It is a hallmark of madness’, he goes on, ‘when an adult puts too powerful a claim on the credulity of others, forcing them to acknowledge the sharing of illusion that is not their own.’52 Winnicott does not examine the question of what makes an illusion shareable, or why, in psychoanalysis for example, one story or set of explanations is convinci
... See moreAdam Phillips • Winnicott
So perhaps happiness is synchronising one’s personal delusions of meaning with the prevailing collective delusions.
Yuval Noah Harari • Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
When we presume to lie for the benefit of others, we have decided that we are the best judges of how much they should understand about their own lives—about how they appear, their reputations, or their prospects in the world.
Sam Harriss • Making Sense | Sam Harris
If you’re going to live your life based on delusions (and you are, because we all do), then why not at least select a delusion that is helpful?