Self-deception - unwillingness to face the truth and wishful thinking.
There are many forms of self-deception and areas of life where people “protect” themselves from the truth. Perhaps as some poisons are useful in small doses, self-deception in small amounts helps with stress.
However, one must understand that this measure is only temporary and does not eliminate the causes of the problem. And the higher the degree of self-deception, the more destructive the consequences can be …
It is insulting and unpleasant when hopes are broken and expectations are not met. But there are times when self-deception can lead to disaster.
On January 28, 1986, millions of people in the United States and around the world watched the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. This launch was also highly publicized because one of the crew members was school teacher Christa McAuliffe. She was supposed to teach a lesson from outer space. But seventy-three seconds after the start, the ship exploded and all seven people on board were killed.
The crash of the shuttle Challenger, 1986.
On the eve of the launch, a group of engineers at Morton Thiokol, which made the starting engines, officially recommended that the launch be postponed. Cold weather was expected, which could lead to a decrease in the elasticity of the rubber insulation rings. Because of what could have happened fuel leakage and explosion of starter engines. The company's engineers were unanimous in insisting that the launch be postponed.
But NASA manager Lawrence Malloy did not agree with this decision. The launch date of the space shuttle has been postponed three times already, despite NASA promises not to disrupt the flight schedule.
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Another postponement of the launch date could damage the shuttle's reputation, which would affect future allocations. It was obvious, but the risk associated with weather conditions was only an opportunity, not an established fact. Even the company's engineers were not absolutely sure that the explosion would certainly occur.
What does Malloy do in this situation? On the eve of the start, he calls the manager of Morton Thiokol, Bob Land, and advises him to think "like a manager" and not "like an engineer." And he agrees, disregarding the opinions of his own colleagues. Malloy then contacts one of Morton Thiokol's vice presidents, Joe Kilminister, and persuades him to sign the launch permit.
Space shuttle Challenger crew.
The question arises, how could Malloy send a shuttle into space, knowing that it could explode? What drove this person? Fear of losing a career, self-righteousness, or something else?
Nobel laureate physicist Richard Feindman, a former member of the Commission investigating the Challenger disaster, said: “Guys trying to get Congress to approve their projects don't want to hear talk about problems and risks. It is better not to know anything, then they may be more honest. They suppress all the information they don't like, something like this: "I don't need to talk about your problems" or "Don't tell me about this, I don't want to hear about it."
The famous American psychologist Paul Ekman, a specialist in the psychology of lies, believes that this self-deception was deliberate, and this, ultimately, led to a tragic outcome. By advising Land to think “like a manager,” Malloy showed a clear understanding of what needs to be done to believe in the feasibility of launching.
NASA office.
Any self-deception can lead to unpredictable consequences, but if people's lives depend on a person's decision, the consequences can be tragic. Not only has Malloy influenced the decisions of some people, he has not yet informed the four top executives of NASA about the differences between engineers and managers.
This sad story is an example of the worst consequences of self-deception. Fortunately, in most cases, this does not come to that. However, those who deceive themselves very rarely achieve the goals they pursue.
In most cases, self-deception is conscious, that is, in the depths of his soul, a person realizes that he is mistaken, and does not want to see the full picture of what is happening. However, when reality is replaced by illusion for a long time, it becomes very difficult to distinguish one from the other.
There are situations when self-deception continues for so long that you cannot do without outside help. Sometimes strong and responsible individuals help in this, and the help of psychologists may also be required.
Be that as it may, this problem is not so easy to solve - it is much better to prevent it or eliminate it at an early stage. Being honest with yourself is no easier than being honest with others. But getting rid of illusions, we take a very big step towards happiness - the place where we want to come.
