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Is self-deception always bad? Are there any beliefs so dear to you that, in a world where they weren't true, you would prefer to go on believing them?

Update: very interesting answers so far, I hope I get to hear from lots more of you!

Date: 2009-06-23 09:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wildeabandon.livejournal.com
I think I'm just repeating what other commenters have said, but there's a class of beliefs that could be described as unwarranted optimism, where the action of belief can sometimes alter the truth value, and the cost of believing falsely is lower than the expected payoff of that alteration.

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Paul Crowley

January 2025

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