Denial WTF?

[Terin]

So I'm sitting here awake over at GAAZ's place and I start thinking, what makes people go into denial? I mean, about anything? I don't understand it, maybe I have too open of a mind? I'm not sure what it is that causes someone to avoid facts that would contradict something that they believe in. To me, the truth is far more important, and if there are facts supporting a view that I don't agree with, I can't just pretend they don't exist, or refuse to look at them in fear of being wrong. Maybe it's because I've come to the conclusion that I'm human, and I'm going to be wrong sometimes, but not everyone has come to terms with that? Does this make sense to anyone? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here! I INVENTED THE PIANO-KEY NECKTIE! I INVENTED IT!
-T

[Doot]

People build their foundations on their beliefs. Some hold on to them so tightly that anything that comes along to challenge it or prove them incorrect could potentially crumble their foundation. Also, it may be too ugly of a fact or a shame for them to even WANT to accept and so they will just feign ignorance and ignore the whole ordeal to safeguard their world.

I know, because my German grandmother still doesn't want to acknowledge the holocaust ever happened.

[Silver Adept]

Dooters has it. Some people hold tightly to particular beliefs (not all of them are religiously related - think about the belief that "America is the best country in the world" as well) because a large part of their lives have been spent under that belief. If those beliefs go away or are challenged, it takes a lot of effort to rebuild the world with the new information.

So denial is easier, although probably more taxing if the evidence starts really piling up against whatever belief is being held.

[kurjohoto the III]

Denial is not just a river in Egypt...heh... anyways I think the bottom line is that sometimes a lie is just more convenient than the truth. I mean why face the harsh truth when you are perfectly happy believing a lie?

[Daijaga]

We all create boundries liek this in our lives everyday. I think they're the fences that seperate us from harsh realities. Impovrished children in Africa, the treatment of cricus animals, simple things we deny out of our everyday exsistance because its too much to think about. The situation happens where people extend those boundries into their personal lives, fencing off things that they should really be dealing with. Thats how denial happens.

[RivaOni]

[kurjohoto the III]

See Riva Oni that's what we've been on about. Yeah I agree there are certain things that we turn a blind eye to because it is easier to ignore than face. Ignorance truly is bliss or is it?

[Graillik Tur]

We'll start with 2 points. One, there is no such thing as 'universal truth' for most people. I believe that certain things are right and wrong no matter the circumstances, some people don't. Also 'truth' as most people talk about it is 'agreement' of sorts. Kind of like scientific truth. They have run an experiment so many times that they expect a certain outcome, even though everytime it doesn't come out that way, they just kind of right it off as a mistake, not an exception to the rules.

Now, having stated that each individual, like the experiments, is open to being 'out of the norm'. To a person looking in you see 'facts' and 'truths' but in the other person's reality, the denial is the truth. It is completely normal to them. Take beaten wives, they truly believe that their husbands love them, even though everyone around them can see this is not the truth.

Also, denial is often used as a coping mechanism. There is a reason that this 'fabrictated reality' is so much more convienant than the reality that everyone else has.

All in all, it means your brain is working outside of the reality around you. Doesn't mean your crazy, just you see things completely different than those around you.

Dueces

[kurjohoto the III]