Strange findings...

Yesterday i read a study book of social psychology and found some new information that amazed me. It was about self-awareness, introspection, self-monitoring etc..

"Consistantly, as we have seen, people preserve their self-esteem by deluding themselves and others with biased cognitions, self-handicapping, basking in the glory of others, and making downward comparisons. Are these strategies a sign of health and well-being, or are they syptoms of disorder? "

"... individuals who are depressed or low in self-esteem actually have more realistic views of themselves than do most others who are better adjusted. Their self-appraisals are more likely to match appraisals of them made by neutral observers; they make fewer self-serving attributions to account for success and failure; they are less likely to exaggerate their control over uncontrollable events; and they make more balanced predictions about their future. They are also more likely to compare themselves with similar others rather than make downward comparisons. Based on these results, Taylor and Brown reached the provocative conclusion that positive illusions promote happiness, the desire to care for others, and the ability to engage in productive work - hallmark attributes of mental health: "These illusions help make each individual`s word a warmer and more active and beneficent place in which to live"."

Hmm.. what the hell?

Okay.. maybe it really works like that but i really dont want to live in illusions - whether they are positive or negative.

An other question is if it is possible to live without any illusions. We might break some illusions but maybe it is impossible to break all of them. Some of them might maintain even without knowing it.

Let imagine that life consists of a lot of illusions.. must we then maintain these illusions and try to live according to them?

Anyway i dont believe that living according to illusions is a right way.