In the book Leadership and Self-Deception, The Arbinger Institute introduces the concept of self-deception. Self-deception is the act of allowing yourself to believe that a false feeling, idea, or situation is true.
When you are self-deceived, the first step of recovery is to become aware of the deception. I’ve created this checklist of common symptoms to help me identify when I’m self-deceived so that I can get back to reality faster.
If you check any of the following boxes, you are likely self-deceived about something or someone.
❒ You feel stuck
❒ You’re focused only on your own perspective
❒ You’re resistant to alternative viewpoints
❒ You’re not interested in learning another person’s name
❒ You feel like you have to put up with others
❒ You lack the desire to help others
❒ You’re victimizing yourself
❒ You’re blaming others
❒ You’re criticizing others
❒ You’re trying to control someone
❒ You’re withholding information from someone
For more on self-deception, see my notes from Leadership and Self-Deception.