Self-Deception - Part 1

Understanding the concept of self-deception: In this section, Leo Gura introduces the idea of self-deception, asserting that it's the most crucial topic he has covered. He references René Descartes, a 16th century French philosopher known for his method of systematic doubt, concluding with his famous dictum "I think, therefore I am." Gura suggests that while philosophers theorize about many potential deceptions, they often overlook the fact that our minds are the ultimate source of deception. He introduces his list of "laws of epistemology," highlighting the first law that our own minds are inherently self-deceptive.
Our minds' power to deceive: Gura details the extent to which our minds can deceive us, including perceptions, motivations, emotions, beliefs, logic, thinking, memories, and judgments. He likens the mind's capacity for self-deception to an evil demon, suggesting it will use every opportunity to deceive us, and any self-evident or obvious assumptions cannot be trusted. The depth and breadth of self-deception, he asserts, make it difficult to detect.
Facing and acknowledging self-deception: Gura emphasizes that not taking the potential for self-deception seriously is in itself a form of self-deception. He advises that worrying about external deceptive forces - such as conspiracy theories or dishonest people - is part of our own self-deception and distracts us from the truth that our minds are our biggest deceivers. He urges individuals to prioritize introspection and self-awareness over these external distractions.
Self-deception and reality: Gura claims that self-deception extends beyond the personal and psychological levels. It affects what we perceive as reality and even the fabric of existence. He lists various elements under the mind's control, including motivations, logic, emotions, beliefs, memories, judgments, focus, interpretations, and even imagination. By this point, he likens self-deception to a curtain covering a giant elephant, demonstrating the mind's ability to construct an unbreakable illusion that is indistinguishable from reality.
The importance of understanding self-deception: Gura concludes this section by highlighting the significance of self-deception within life and philosophy. He suggests that life is essentially a game of self-deception within self-deception within self-deception, and that comprehending this is key to self-awareness and personal growth. He finishes by establishing that Actualized.org - the platform hosting these discussions - will continue exploring self-deception's various forms in the future.
Deep nature and implications of self-deception: Leo Gura argues that self-deception goes far beyond basic cognitive biases recognized in psychology. It permeates every aspect of an individual's being, including who they are, their perceptions of the world, beliefs, emotions, relationships, and career. It even affects physical reactions and memories, with the mind skillfully diverting, distracting, and rationalizing to sustain deceptions.
Inherent self-deception in the mind's 'operating system': Leo suggests that self-deception is the 'operating system' of the human mind, influencing everything we interact with or call life. This includes all our thoughts, memories, emotions, motivations, and even physical responses. He uses an analogy of a giant elephant behind a curtain to describe how the mind prevents us from seeing the truth.
The deceptive power of the mind: The mind has the capability to manipulate our desires, thoughts, memories and physical reactions. It can divert attention, create distractions, induce physical reactions and even manipulate memory to prevent us from seeing the truth. Leo argues that the mind is the ultimate puppet master, controlling us even when we think we are controlling it.
Difficulty in exposing self-deception: The mind prevents the exposure of self-deception by convincing us of its trustworthiness. This creates a circular, self-reinforcing problem where the mind reassures us of our non-deception, leading us to trust it further. He compares this to a fox guarding a henhouse, questioning the fox's intention to guard the chickens honestly.
Considering higher quality self-deception: Leo prompts viewers to contemplate a higher quality self-deception, one that's designed by an infinitely more intelligent entity, making it indistinguishable from reality. He suggests that the belief that we can easily detect and overcome our self-deceptions is the first step in the process of comprehensive self-deception, leading to further self-deceptions.
Self-deception going unnoticed due to dismissal: The mind convinces individuals that self-deception is not a significant concern, allowing it to fabricate and manipulate realities without suspicion. The belief that self-deception is a philosophical or abstract problem, disconnected from one's life, allows the mind to maintain its deceptive narratives.
"True Skepticism and the Mind's Tricks": Leo Gura argues that skepticism should not only be directed towards others, but most importantly towards ourselves. Gura suggests that the mind, in its pursuit to serve and keep us alive, controls our emotions, thoughts, judgments, memories, and perceptions. However, this service to the self often results in deception as it disregards the truth.
Deception as the Mechanism of Creation: Gura posits an alternative perspective stating that no objective reality exists and everything is inherently relative. He suggests that reality and existence are born out of deception, making deception not just a psychological mechanism, but a physical or metaphysical one. As per Gura, there is only 'one thing', which is reality, and this reality deceives itself to differentiate and create various forms, including human beings.
Self as the Greatest Deception: Gura asserts that the greatest act of self-deception is the belief of our own importance and the need to survive. He discusses that people freely assume reality to be objective, while he argues that reality may be created and altered through deceptive mechanisms of the mind.
Utility of Lying in Certain Situations: In some instances, lying might be more beneficial than truth telling, particularly when under pressure or to gain certain advantages such as staying alive. Gura suggests that the mind lies to itself to keep us alive, thereby generating the cycle of existence and the illusion of life's meaning.
Pragmatism and Self-deception: Gura criticizes the emphasis on pragmatism and scientism, dismissing philosophical and spiritual discussions about life and death as "speculative stuff". He proposes that this focus on pragmatism might simply be another layer of self-deception that prevents individuals from looking beyond the experience of being alive and contemplating deeper existential questions.
Abstract Concept of Ownership: Leo Gura argues that the idea of ownership is purely a self-deception. By designating certain possessions particularly important to us or giving special status to concepts like property deeds, we perpetuate an illusion of secure control, which inherently does not exist.
Illusory Security and Power: Gura points out that seeking security through physical means such as weapons only deepens insecurity and self-deception. Material power or wealth doesn't guarantee genuine security as the fear of losing these possessions fosters constant uneasiness.
Artificial Foundations of Laws and Rights: The notion of laws and rights is a collective self-deception derived from human consensus, rather than an inherent truth. We've convinced ourselves about their existence to create a sense of order, protection, and morality for collective survival.
Entertainment as a form of Self-Decpetion: He pinpoints entertainment sources like movies, novels, and porn as classic examples of self-deception. They provide an escape into fictional or virtual realities where we willingly deceive ourselves into believing they're real for enjoyment.
Overselling of Confidence: Confidence, according to Gura, is essentially a self-deception, convincing oneself about inevitable success to tread on in the face of adversities.
Familial Ties and Nostalgia: The attachment and special treatment we offer to close relatives are also self-deceptions. The notion of a fundamental, vital connection within a family is self-made by the mind to consolidate our social and emotional survival.
National Identities and Corporations: Identities relating to nationality or corporations are deemed as mere fabrications, serving the objective of categorizing, uniting, and helping us to grasp the abstract concept of 'belonging'.
The Illusion of Equality: Calling equality a self-deception, Gura suggests that the idea of fairness or egalitarian principles is merely a reflection of human desires to ensure a better life for oneself.
Unreality of Status and Titles: He criticizes the concept of social or military status and titles, implying they're self-deceptions we form for societal structure, recognition, and authority in the collective human experience.
The concept of self-deception extends to culture, activities, and knowledge: Any form of escapism or immersion in illusion, such as playing video games or engaging in cultural activities, is a form of self-deception because it detracts from facing reality. Knowledge itself, even in academic disciplines like science or philosophy, can serve the purpose of reinforcing this self-illusion, thereby serving practical survival rather than objective reality. Even mindfulness activities, like self-actualization and non-dualism, carry the risk of being misinterpreted as tools for self-deceit rather than tools for acknowledging it.
Self-deception applies to personal experiences and beliefs: People constantly lie and make excuses for their own actions while being quick to criticize others for similar behavior. This double standard, as well as the acceptance of certain cultural or societal norms, is evidence of self-deception.
People overlook self-deception in themselves while pointing it out in others: Everyone thinks other people are deluded or self-deceived, yet fail to recognize this quality within themselves. This realization is an indication of one's self-deception and how the mind tends to serve itself rather than factual truth.
Self-deception holds a vital part in different aspects of life: Even seemingly mundane activities like playing video games or casual lying are parts of self-deception. They are indications of a person's investment in an illusion they'd rather believe than face reality, thereby reinforcing self-deception.
Meta-knowledge and self-knowledge are kept away from individuals: The mind and society withhold from individuals the knowledge about how knowledge acquisition works and self-reflective awareness to maintain illusion and self-deception for survival.
The struggle between the reality of truth and the illusion created by self-deception: The awareness of the mind's own self-deception and the acceptance of self-deception's role in everyday living can lead to an internal struggle. The pain of acknowledging one's self-deception and the difficulty involved in breaking away from it creates a hesitancy towards confronting the truth, placing individuals in a conflict between illusion and reality.
The impact of self-deception on the interpretation and experience of knowledge: Knowledge can serve as a tool for further self-deception. Individuals may demonstrate a tendency to use knowledge to validate their own beliefs and actions, thereby deepening their own self-deception. This includes meta-knowledge, or knowledge about how knowledge works, which the mind strategically keeps inaccessible to further its own survival agenda.
The global phenomenon of self-deception: The acceptance that billions of people around the world hold different belief systems can be a significant piece of evidence of self-deception. The failure to apply the understanding of this phenomenon to oneself, however, manifests the irony of ignoring one's self-deception while recognizing it in others.
The importance of self-reflection: Self-reflection can help individuals in identifying and confronting their self-deception. By recognizing the common tendencies of the human mind and their manifestation in personal behaviors, one can work towards reducing self-deception and moving closer to objective reality.
Leo Gura on the distraction of external focus: When individuals invest in worrying or trying to fix others, it acts as a diversion from self-reflection, providing the mind with a successful distraction strategy to evade internal scrutiny. This prevents individuals from recognizing their own self-deceptions, which, when unveiled, could lead to dramatic changes in their lives.
The false dichotomy of debates as evidence of self-deception: Debating or arguing typically involves two individuals with opposing beliefs. Each participant works to expose the other's self-deceptions while ignoring their own, leading to a back-and-forth exchange where they mutually accuse each other of dishonesty without recognizing their own self-deception. This contentious environment only escalates the risk of unveiling individual dishonesty, triggering defensiveness and the projection of personal deceit onto the other.
Self-deception exhibited in the labeling of 'evil': Condemnations of evil by one group onto another can be viewed as an externalization of their own perceived 'evils' or selfish tendencies. Labeling someone else as wicked serves to justify any actions taken against them, essentially promoting selfish behavior under the guise of moral righteousness.
Exploration of civilization's self-deceptive progress narrative: Every generation of humans tends to view itself as more advanced and less prone to self-deception than their predecessors, marking a trend in self-deception across human history. This belief in continual progress deepens the capacity for self-deception within each successive generation, leading to a perpetuated fallacy of assumed enlightenment.
The necessity to be cognizant of self-deception in self-reflection: The processes of identifying and acknowledging self-deception can be a highly personal and intricate endeavor. The danger lies in becoming consciously aware of the self-deception in others (e.g., public figures such as Trump) while remaining oblivious to personal self-deceptions. It's essential to recognize that being judgemental towards others is itself an act of self-deception.
The depth and span of self-deception: Self-deception is not a matter of lacking intelligence or reason. The issue is complex and deeply entwined within our identities, and the endeavor to uncover it can feel threatening to our sense of survival and existence. It revolves around a personal and emotional investigation that requires a high level of self-honesty and confronting our own deep biases and deceptions.
Trust in reason as a tool of investigating self-deception: In this lecture, Gura emphasizes that most people trust reason as a tool for understanding self-deception, but warns that reason itself is a chief tool of self-deception. Reason is used to justify one's own agenda but does not necessarily lead to truth. Gura questions the blind faith people have in their own reason and rationale and criticizes the hypocrisy of rationalists who argue against faith-based beliefs without recognizing the faith grounding their reason.
The problem of self-deception is personal and emotional, not logical: Gura highlights that the problem of self-deception isn't simply logical, it's also personal and emotional. One cannot just think their way out of this problem. The investigation into one's own psyche and self-deception is deeply personal, akin to a lab rat dissecting itself. This personal investigation threatens one's survival as it sifts through the layers of self-deception.
Intense emotional reactions to the truth: The severity of self-deception is underscored with the idea that full self-honesty can induce intense suffering. The truth can be so shocking that if one were to be completely honest with themselves, they might collapse from the distress. Gura tells a story about a person who discovered their self-deceptions for the first time at a retreat and reacted so strongly that they spent nights vomiting as an emotional response to the disturbing revelation.
Revolt against change and the difficulty of self-actualization: Gura discusses how the mind resists change and revolts against truth. Whenever one tries to self-actualize or change, their mind will trick them and they fall back into old habits. Change, even on a smaller scale like losing weight, requires the death of the old self, making it a difficult process. The process needs to be personal and customized as everyone has their own self-deceptions.
Complex nature and impact of self-deception: Gura emphasizes the complexity of self-deception and its power to influence emotional states, desires, and fears. The mind, according to Gura, will help to maintain the semblance of homeostasis, resisting change at all costs. The turmoil of facing one's self-deceptions is highlighted by the illustration of a shy individual discussing their anxieties with a naturally confident person - their fears are deeply personal and can seem irrational to others.
The need for personal investigation into self-deception: Lastly, Gura advocates for introspection and personal investigation into one's self-deception. He criticizes reliance on scientific methods or clinical studies for personal development. Gura highlights that self-deception is innately custom to each individual, with deeply rooted biases and inner demons that only they can fully understand and face. Ultimately, confronting and understanding personal self-deception can lead to a path of self-actualization.
Our Minds as the Jailbreakers of Truth: Leo Gura uses the analogy of jailbreaking a smartphone to portray the process of unveiling self-deception. As the mind tries to jailbreak itself, it knows all its strategies and thwarting mechanisms, making the process complicated but not impossible. However, this struggle can only lead up to but not guarantee the final leap to enlightenment, as this leap is not within our control but is something that comes from beyond the mind or ego.
Enlightenment and Immunity from Self-Deception: Gura warns against the idea that enlightenment eradicates all self-deception, asserting that the mind can still play tricks even afterward. Self-deceptions extend beyond our perceptions of the world to aspects including relationships, career, and societal interactions. Using the analogy of a self-deceived magician, he explains that the mind creates the illusion of reality and selfhood, and we are essentially God tricking ourselves into believing we are finite beings.
The Solution to Self-Deception: The antidote to self-deception, according to Gura, is self-reflection, which involves questioning all perceived truths about ourselves and the world. Achieving this could result in the melting away of illusions and the end of self-deception, which is synonymous with liberation. Personal growth thus becomes a journey from a state of maximum self-deception to minimal self-deception. He emphasizes that even enlightened individuals can still retain a degree of self-deception due to unawareness of this broader dynamic.
The Consequences of Self-deception: Gura finishes by stating that suffering results directly from misalignment with truth, implying that the less self-deceived we are, the less we suffer. He suggests that people deeply ingrained in their self-deceptions suffer greatly beneath their denial, reinforcing the necessity of self-reflection and the pursuit of truth to alleviate this suffering.
Impact of Self-deception: The extent of self-deception can be so profound that it masks a deep, underlying suffering. Some individuals, engulfed by their layers of self-deception, would rather lie to themselves until their natural death or even opt for suicide than face the raw truth.
Persistence of Self-deception: Despite elevated awareness or claims of enlightenment, no one is completely immune to self-deception. It isn't a limited set of traps but an extensive minefield with a multitude of deceptive points set throughout one's life journey.
Importance of seeking Truth: Gura highlights the absolute importance of overcoming self-deception, stating that nearly everything else in life pales in comparison. If one focuses on reducing their self-deception, from, for example, 99% to 20%, it could transform their life from potentially suicidal depression to profound joy and appreciation.
Ongoing Examination of Self-deception: Gura reveals his ongoing work on epistemology and self-deception, with hundreds of pages dedicated to the meticulous exploration of various patterns of self-deception observed in self, society, and the human race.
Hope for overcoming Self-deception: While the process of 'jailbreaking' one's mind from self-deception is challenging and complex, it's a shared journey hinting that improvement and transformation are possible. While no one ever fully eradicates self-deception, reducing it significantly can lead to a dramatic transformation in one's life.
Importance of Acknowledging Fallibility: Gura points out that everyone, including himself, is liable to fall prey to self-deception's insidious mechanisms. Recognizing this fallibility can prevent one from falling into the trap of thinking they are above self-deception or have mastered all its aspects and traps.
Life as Art: Life, with all its deceptive challenges, is seen as a form of divine artistry where everyone's personal life journey contributes to a broader magnificent and infinite tableau of existence.
Rationale behind Self-deception: Gura suggests that self-deception exists to allow people to experience the joy of discovery as if it were for the first time, thereby revealing how awe-inspiring reality can be.
Resources for understanding Self-deception: Leo points to resources on Actualized.org, such as the blog, forum, and book list that could help viewers further understand and grapple with self-deception in areas like science, history, philosophy, psychology, medicine, society, and spirituality.
Goal of Actualized.org: The overarching goal of Actualized.org is to assist individuals in identifying self-deception and overcoming the limitations that their minds create. While complete mastery of self-deception isn't probable, any significant reduction can lead to a profound transformation in one's life.