The Value of Self-honesty Based on Bryce Courtenay Quote

The Value of Self-honesty Based on Bryce Courtenay Quote
I tell myself lies and soon I believe them-- Bryce Courtenay
Bryce Courtenay diagnosed in a few words one of the greatest problem people face today. There is crisis in honesty nowadays, and the worst kind is self-deception, which keeps a person from having a clear view of himself. Self-deception takes in two forms—overestimation of oneself or the opposite, which is underestimation of one’s self. Both forms of self-deception are dangerous because they can cause depression.
The result of self-deception
When a person overestimates himself, he could fall into depression once reality shows him that he is not as awesome as he thinks he is. On the other hand, a person who underestimates himself becomes depressed because of perceived inadequacies that may not be accurate.
Both types of self-deception can be resolved by simply being honest to yourself—do not tell yourself lies because soon you may think the lies are real. Here are some tips to avoid falling into the self-deception trap:
• Know yourself. You may think you know who you are, but chances are you actually don’t. Many of the things we think we want are actually not what we want—they are what others want for us. You may think you like dancing, but it could only be because many of your friends are dancers. Knowing yourself is the pinnacle of freedom.
• Don’t believe in other people’s flattery. Other people love to flatter and you might be one of the victims. You read it right, I said victims, because flattery is an attempt by another person to gain favor from you by pretending to praise you on things you don’t really have. A man may flatter a woman by calling her beautiful even when she is not just to get in bed with her. An employee will flatter his boss just to get promotion. People who believe in flattery are victimizing themselves.
• Don’t believe others when they look down on you. The opposite of flattery is also evil. Other people would love to bring you down by telling you how worthless you are. Do not believe them. Instead, look inside yourself and know your real value.
The best freedom is freedom from the lies we tell ourselves. Bryce Courtenay provides us a reminder that we should keep our self-valuation grounded on truth.