Self Delusion

According to the shrinks, we even deceive ourselves. No... really? Seems our conscious mind is just too busy to look closely at things that might prove unsettling. It is much easier for it to fall back on a simple "statement of belief" to use whenever a sensitive subject arises. No thinking, just flash the statement.

Think about this for a minute. Who is conning who here? Self delusion isn't supposed to be for everyone, but if you look at our society very closely, you have to notice that denial is rampant. It's not apathy, nor fear that keeps the blinders on us, but a loyal trust in our superiors.

Does anyone really believe that our leaders are great and pious people? We know that they are mere mortals subjected to monumental temptations to lie, cheat and steal, AND THEY DO, yet we still trust them with enormous amounts of our money as well as our very lives.

How come?

The Benevolent Lie

Along the same lines as a "little white lie", the benevolent lie is supposed to be for the good of the person being lied to. Unlike the former, the benevolent lie is scalable and can be quite large. The benevolent lie makes it possible for us to deny that we know we are being lied to, as well as, allows us to lie through our teeth when it is our turn and still believe ourselves to be honest and true human beings.

It all starts with Santa Claus... that is, in cultures where that myth is perpetuated on children. In cultures where that is not the case, I assume they have another mythic being that does the job.

The discovery that old Saint Nick doesn't really come down the chimney is not only our first evidence that the world is not always as it appears, but it establishes the benevolent lie as a permanent part of our character. The benevolent lie is at the very core of our problem. It is the source of our terminal denial. This is how it goes.

You awaken to find that Santa Claus was an elaborate hoax involving everyone around you. All of the people you trusted have lied to you. They have taken advantage of your ignorance and fooled you completely. Once you know, everyone expects you to lie, in turn, to all the children who haven't figured it out. The penalties are severe if you attempt to warn other children. You will be called all sorts of names by little old ladies, if you even hint that it is all a hoax. The idea is that it is good for the child to enjoy the fantasy while they are still a child. When they are old enough, they will understand that it is time to grow up and dump childhood fantasies. The problem is that this elaborate hoax sets a precedent that allows us to easily accept lies from those that we think "know what is best for us". We can deny responsibility, trusting our superiors to keep the details from us, while they keep us safe and warm.

Our present situation is a case in point. We live in a fantasy world and we don't want to lose it. We WANT them to continue to lie to us. We don't want to give all this up. Even though we stopped being children, maybe a long time ago, we have been imprinted with the idea that it is alright to be deceived by those we consider sufficiently high in the pecking order.

Terminal Denial

We want to continue to believe that we each have the right to be treated like royalty; that we can own and consume everything in sight. One day you will wake up and find that all of the people you trusted have lied to you. They have taken advantage of your ignorance and fooled you completely. It isn't true: we are NOT royalty. We CANNOT continue to consume. If you try to warn your friends and neighbors, they will likely turn on you. Even the ones who know the truth will try to shut you up. The fantasy must be preserved at all costs. Once the illusion dissolves and reality sets in, there is no going back. If the awakening starts to spread in the general population, the whole thing will collapse. No matter, really. Because of our terminal denial, the system will soon collapse anyway. And of course, that general population will continue to blame someone else.

If you are up on your mushroom lore, you know that Santa is the most popular mushroom deity on the Planet. The benevolent lie is one of the first gifts brought to us by the jolly old elf.

More on the way.
Meanwhile, check out:
On the Right Hand of God
     History of the Sacred Fungi