Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ataraxia Book 2) What we believe to be the motives of our conduct are usually but the pretexts for it. —Miguel de Unamuno Self-deception is common and universal, and the cause of most human tragedies. Of course, the science of self-deception can help us to live better and get more out of life. But it can also cast a murky light on human nature and the human condition, for example, on such exclusively human phenomena as anger, fear, pride, dream making, love making, and god making, not to forget age-old philosophical problems such as selfhood, virtue, happiness, and the good life. Nothing, in the end, could possibly be more important. At the same time, I should issue something of a health warning. Some people may find Hide and Seek difficult to read, more so even than the other books in the Ataraxia series. These books, it is true, can be intellectually demanding, but they are above all emotionally challenging, especially to those who have seldom had the opportunity, strength, humility, or misfortune to delve into their deepest thoughts and feelings. All the books in the series can provoke violent reactions, but this one all the more for being about the violent reactions themselves. But the effort, greater for some than for others, is certainly worth making. In the words of the philosopher Bertrand Russell: 'A certain kind of resignation is involved in willingness to face the truth about ourselves; this kind, though it may involve pain in the first moments, affords ultimately a protection—indeed the only possible protection—against the disappointments and disillusionments to which the self-deceiver is liable.' More than that, by locking herself up in her own head, by losing herself in a labyrinth of her own making, the self-deceiver is, at the same time, missing out on the colours, shades, and nuances of life, missing out on life itself. Most of this book’s chapters are constructed around the ego defences recognized by Sigmund Freud and others. I have chosen to discuss self-deception in terms of ego defences because most of the thinking on the subject has been carried out in these terms. This, happily, is just as it should be. In the final analysis, all self-deception can be understood as a means of protecting or enhancing the ego. For example, a man who buys a 10,000 dollar watch instead of a 1,000 dollar one because ‘you can really tell the difference in quality’ is not only hiding his (unrecognized) craving to be loved, but also trying to pass it off as a virtue, namely, a concern for quality. The chapters are arranged into five parts, with each part corresponding to a family of ego defences clustered around a basic operation for defusing threats to the ego or the fear and anxiety that arise from those threats. I have called these five basic operations, and so the five parts of the book: abstraction, transformation, evasion through fraud or fantasy, evasion through people or the world, and projection. I have not discussed every ego defence ever recognized, but only the most important or interesting ones. In any case, many if not all of the ego defences that I have left out can be understood as subtypes of other, more basic ones that I have, of course, been sure to include. Nothing, said Russell, is more fatiguing nor, in the long run, more exasperating than the daily effort to believe things which daily become more incredible. To be done with this effort is an indispensable condition of secure and lasting happiness. A University of Oxford psychiatrist examines the psychological underpinnings of self-deception—and how taking action to counter these defence mechanisms can help you see your life, emotions, and abilities in an entirely new light. —BookBub There is much more to mental health than the mere absence of mental disorder. Today, I write about all the things that I was never taught. The Ataraxia Series Neel is an incredibly insightful and elegant writer, with a deep knowledge of all he surveys. —James Davies, medical anthropologist and psychotherapist, author of Cracked Burton’s writing blends deep knowledge of his subject with lively anecdote and a genuine concern for how we might draw on the insights of psychology and philosophy to live a better life. —Gareth Southwell, philosopher and writer The Meaning of Madness Hide and Seek Heaven and Hell For Better For Worse Hypersanity The Art of Failure Neel Burton Multi award-winning non-fiction author Dr Neel Burton FRSA is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and wine-lover who lives and teaches in Oxford, England. He is a Fellow of Green-Templeton College in the University of Oxford, and the winner of the Society of Authors' Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association's Young Authors' Award, and the Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Award. His work regularly features in the likes of Aeon and Psychology Today and has been translated into several languages. His books include: The Meaning of Madness: A Critical Guide to Mental Health and Illness Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception Heaven and Hell: The Psychology of the Emotions For Better For Worse: Essays on Love, Marriage, and More Hypersanity: Thinking Beyond Thinking The Art of Failure: The Anti Self-Help Guide The Meaning of Myth: With 12 Greek Myths Retold and Interpreted by a Psychiatrist Growing from Depression: A Gentle Self-Help Guide, and more... The Ataraxia Series Six books to peace and power of mind. In my work as a psychiatrist, I help to treat mental disorder—and, I’m delighted to say, most of the people I see do get better. But why stop here? I believe that there is much more to mental health than the mere absence of mental disorder. Mental health is not just about surviving, but about thriving, about developing and expressing our highest, fullest potential as human beings. Before Christianity, there were, of course, the pagan gods, Zeus and Jupiter and their ilk. But, especially for the high-minded, there were also a number of philosophical schools, the major ones being Cynicism, Stoicism, Skepticism, and Epicureanism. Although each with its own outlook and method, all four schools aimed at the attainment of mental mastery and tranquillity, or ataraxia—making them, in my view, much more similar than different. Ataraxia [Greek, ‘lack of disturbance’] is also the guiding principle of this series, with each book, like each philosophy, adopting a distinct but complementary approach to peace of mind: exploring the deep origins of our distress in The Meaning of Madness; guarding against the demons of self-deception in Hide and Seek; refining our emotions in Heaven and Hell; regulating our relations with others in For Better For Worse; developing our thinking skills in Hypersanity; and, finally, redefining our concept of success in The Art of Failure. Although the series is numbered, each book can happily stand on its own—meaning that you can read just one or all six, and in whichever order you like. Ataraxia is closely linked with eudaimonia, which is often translated as ‘happiness’ but which is, in fact, a much deeper, fuller, and richer concept, sometimes articulated in terms of flourishing, or living a life that is worthwhile and fulfilling. The stakes could not be higher.
✔ Author(s): Neel Burton
✔ Title: Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ataraxia)
✔ Rating : 4.3 out of 5 base on (195 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 0992912792
✔ ISBN-13: 9780992912796
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Hide and Seek by Neel Burton
Melody Blake
I must confess, this book made me shed tears like never before. The themes of love, loss, and resilience struck a chord with my soul. It was an emotional journey I'm grateful to have taken.
Elaine Leonard
What an intellectual journey! The themes explored in this book challenged my perceptions and sparked introspection. It's refreshing to read a book that provokes such thought.
Daphne Garner
I couldn't stop raving about this book to my friends and family. It's a literary gem that deserves all the praise. I can't wait to dive into more works by this talented author.
