User:Atcovi/ENG225/Discussion Board Seven: Stop Lying to Yourself

Prompt
First, let's talk about good ol' Don Quixote, the master of self delusion.

Don Quixote alters reality to fit his version. He literally sees only what he wants to see. The inn is a castle, the windmills are giants, sex workers are fair maidens of the castle, etc. This, as you read, gets him into a lot of shenanigans with very real consequences for himself and those around him.

He is obviously wrong. The inn is not a castle, it's a run-down inn and the inn-keeper is a corrupt thief who is just trying to cheat Don Quixote who is at least trying to do what he sees a right and honorable. However, his madness causes a man to almost be bludgeoned to death, so we can say it's harmless.

Which brings me to your first question. Are Don Quixote's delusions really all that bad? In a world full of selfish, self-serving people, is DQ the exception? If the government is corrupt, do you really blame him for reverting to a code he sees as more noble? But, then again, is this fantasy code just another charade as well?

My next question is, as always, is about you. We all delude ourselves, even if we don't know it. Sometimes we subconsciously push down reality because it doesn't fit with our version. Or maybe focus on the version of ourselves we wish was more true than it really is. We all tell ourselves a story about our lives and we are very rarely the villain. I'll give you an example of something that seems minor. When someone asks me, "What do you like to do?" I only give them the activities I'm proud of. I tell them, "Oh, I love to read. I write. I meditate. I cook and garden." All of these things are true, but they are only PART of the truth. I don't say, "Oh, I mindlessly scroll social media at least an hour a day. I binge Netflix until 2AM." Those things are just as true, but I turn away from those activities b/c I don't want them to be part of how I spend my days. But they are, and ignoring it only allows me to keep doing it.

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, and deluding myself is wasting those precious hours.

So, what about you? What stories do you tell yourself? What are you deluding yourself about and why?

There is no length requirement as long as you fully address what's asked of you in this post.

Your response can be text, video, mixed-media, etc.

Initial post due Friday, Oct. 13 by 11:59PM

Response
What first struck me about calling Don Quixote "delusional" was that this is from our perspective. We believe Don Quixote based on our own subjective perspective. Now, I'm not disputing that he was wrong. Of course, ultimately, he was incorrect in his interpretations of the windmills as "giants". But, aren't we all technically delusional by someone's perspective? Aren't there people who believe that 9/11 was a conspiracy, while others simply believe 9/11 was a terrorist incident because their educational institution said so [without further, independent research]? Basically, I'm saying Don Quixote isn't as bad as folks may be putting it out to be & anyone can be considered delusional just for believing in certain beliefs that go against what the [majority] says. He lived a life where he was polite and courteous to those around him, how can his delusions, then, be considered "really bad"? I would argue a point that Cervantes may have made is that everyone lives in their own, so-called "delusion" [as at least one other person may say], but as long as that person isn't a harm to their community - then what's the issue, especially if it makes them a better person? I don't blame him for living an 'exceptional' life, since thousands of people in our own country live a life that may be seen as 'exceptional' (the religious, the conspiracy theorists, those that live off the grid, the celebrities, etc.).

As for what I "delude" myself, I would say I have an alter ego. Now this isn't a "put-down-other-people" type ego, as that is definitely something I DON'T want to be - but as a semi-professional soccer player, a high-level athlete almost requires an alter-ego. I, admittedly, don't want to say I "delude" myself - but does it sometimes stretch beyond my abilities for the sake of extra "mental power"? Sure. I could say that I am able to run for as long as I want because I am a "running machine", but this is just a tactic to get me to finish the couple of miles I am running [for example]. Some could say I delude myself in that manner, but again, it proves to be a benefit for myself and not as an annoyance to others - so I would relate myself to Don Quixote and say it is a good delusion.