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Tue 5 Oct, 2004 03:04 am
It has come to my attention that people who have less accurate perceptions tend to be the happier than those whose perceptions are more accurate. For example, psychological tests have shown that people who are moderately depressed score higher on objective measures of perception than those who are not depressed.
Is it wrong, or a poor idea, to live your life more deluded than is utterly necessary ( everybody is deluded to some extent) ? Is it really better to be an unhappy human than a happy pig? Are we tempting fate by harbouring more false beliefs than absolutely necessary, and is being aware of problems necessary the same as being able to act to fix them? Is it better to live in the worst of all situations and be content than to live in the best of all possible situations and be discontent?
For the sake of argument, briefly assume that your delusions won't directly harm other people (but, if you want, they can ultimately harm yourself).
But then you should to consider that they won't harm you either, just for the sake of fairness.
Depression is often a failure of the defensive system—neurosis—to continue deluding itself. As you imply, enlightenment often occurs at some time during the depression or while coming out of the depression. Therapists prescribe anti-depressents to bolster up the neurosis rather than cure it. Delusions are always destructive and sometimes physically destructive.
Countries go to war over delusions, as we have in Iraq. Do you want a delusional president with a Napolean complex and a plan to transform the Middle East through violent overthrow of their governments?
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