Why do you think people live in denial?

Joanne's FAVORITE answer:
Because they mistook it for a river in Egypt?

Joanne's answer:
Good ole' Freud and his defense mechanisms. Of course, people live in denial when they are presented with information that is too threatening for them to handle. By the way, I prefer the term "positive illusions" to "denial"!!

And the other answers!

1. The truth is sometimes very hard to digest. To have to accept things that are not happy or complimentary is hard to digest. And those who live in denial have a very sensitive digestive system. So, rather than to get emotional heart burn, they would rather not look at it. If you don't look at it, it's not there. Just as if no one sees you eat it, you didn't take in those extra calories.

2. Denial is much more fun than nial...nial has some good bars...but mostly is a terrible place to live...

3. It is better than facing reality for some people.

4. Mainly because we want to be more like Joanne (only kidding). Really I think that people live in denial because it is just easier to accept than reality sometimes.

5. To stay sane.

6. Low property tax. Good school systems. And no laws against womengoing topless in town.

7. Because there are things that they don't want to know. Because knowing those things would mean some kind of change - either a change in their perception of the world as they now know it, or that they would be required to make some kind of personal or behavioral change - that they are not willing to make. Did I get it right, Doc?

8. It's a great place to live - no responsibiltiy or taxes.

9. In my opinion we are all subjective observers of an objective environment, one whose harsh realities are often wisely avoided through the use of vital defense mechanisms. One of the most adaptive and important defenses, denial allows us to live on happily (despite the fact that the mortality rate remains firmly at 100%), allows some gay men to marry women and have children (securing their spot in heaven, no doubt), and most importantly: denial gives us hope that our freedoms and successes are not being slowly stripped away by neoconservatives who are running our country into the ground. Frighteningly, denial can sometimes reach delusional, even flagrantly psychotic proportions, and can also be fatal. The American Heart Association cites denial as a primary factor in the delay of treatment in the event of a heart attack. (Joanne, just because you're going back to teaching, you can't make me cite that. Look it up yourself.) Finally, denial allows me to relish in my unshakeable conviction that I am the smartest person I know.

10. Are you kidding! It is so much more self serving to live without flaw than to actually face that you may have a part in your own misery. If we didn't have denial we would have to take emotional stock in everything we did, how exhausting would that be!

11. Just a simple coping mechanism.

12. I don't believe that people live in denial.

13. The tasteful drapery??