TRUE BELIEVER SYNDROME AND SELF-DECEPTION

Self-deception to put it simply is just believing in x or not believing in x at the same time. Or it could be believing that you believe x. The latter seems to be the dominant problem and form. It is hard to believe that one really believes Austria is a desert and also believes it is a normal European country. But you can believe you believe these things and that is where the self-deception is.

The fact that we have to go to such lengths and even try to involve others in our self-deceit is that we are programmed to are about the truth and therefore what is right and fair. We are make a façade that makes us fail to see that we are in fact opposing the truth. We are trying to tell ourselves that we are in fact honest and in line with the truth and respecting it. It is virtually making a truth to suit what you want to be the truth.

True believer syndrome

True-believer syndrome was coined by M Lamar Keene in his book The Psychic Mafia. It's defined as knowing that something paranormal has been refuted and debunked and still believing in it. It is alarming that a magician can perform a trick and say it is paranormal and people will still believe that even if he shows how it was done by trickery. It is not currently recognised as a psychopathology. It shows that with self-deceit all things are possible! Even the apostle who has shown every evidence of sincerity and honesty and intelligence could be deceiving himself that he saw Jesus Christ raised from the dead.

The more out of the ordinary the claim is, the greater the danger of true-believer syndrome.
 
Good liars will do almost anything to avoid being found out. The bigger the liar the bigger the cover-up and the more accessories and enablers and charm he needs. It helps them a lot if they can encourage others to engage in self-deception or in more self-deception than they already perform. Good liars and big liars make it dangerous for people who challenge their lies.