is the tendency of one part of our minds to lie to the other.

是我們一部分的思想會傾向於對其他部分撒謊

We lie for what might initially seem like a very understandable reason,

一開始，我們可能都是為了一個看似非常合理的理由說謊

because we want to avoid pain.

因為我們想避免痛苦

But in so doing, we hugely damage our chances of happiness.

但只要我們一撒謊，我們就大大地毀掉可以讓我們幸福的機會

There are four things we particularly like to lie to ourselves about.

這裡有四件事情是我們特別愛自欺欺人

We lie about all the problematic aspects.

我們會對所有不確定的事情撒謊

It would take so much effort to alter our jobs, our relationships,

這會嚴重影響到我們的工作、人際關係、

our friendships, our health, our habits, and ideas.

友情、健康、習慣、以及想法

We lie because we need to think well of ourselves,

我們說謊是因為我們需要自我安慰一下

and devoted to imagining that we are essentially normal,

而投注想像著我們自己是個正常人

without peculiar loves, hates, and deviant thoughts.

不是有著特別的愛好、厭惡、或是脫節的想法

We lie because we don't want to feel so inadequate.

我們說謊是因為我們不想要感到能力不足

And yet because we lack so many good things.

不過，我們的確也是因為缺少了很多的好事情

We lie because we're furious with certain people we're supposed to love.

我們說謊是因為我們對應該要愛的人發脾氣

And we lie because what we furious about

我們說謊是因為我們覺得自己所生氣的事情

feels so minor and pathetically petty for a grown-up to care about.

對大人而言是一件極為瑣碎以及悲哀的事情

Given how risky the truth about us can feel,

由於面對真相的風險

we had to learn to be masters of deception.

我們都得學會成為一位說謊大師

Our techniques are wide-ranging, devilish, and often hugely imaginative.

我們的說謊技巧是很多方面的、邪惡地、以及時常充滿想像力

Here are some of the leading maneuvers we employ to pull the wool over our own eyes.

這裡有幾個常見策略是我們用來欺騙自己

Distraction/Addiction

分散注意力／成癮

We identify something that can powerfully keep our thoughts away

我們認為某些東西可以有效地分散注意力

from troubling inner confrontations.

使得我們不再陷入內心的糾結與衝突

Online pornography's a favorite. The news another.

像是線上色情網站是第一個選擇。第二個則是新聞

Alcohol, a third. Work, a fourth.

第三個是酒精。第四個是工作

We don't so much like these elements in and of themselves.

我們並不是那麼喜歡這些東西的內容

We like them for their ability to keep us away from what we fear.

我們喜歡這些事情是因為我們能夠逃避面對我們所害怕的事情

Manic Cheeriness

瘋狂的快樂著

A sadness we haven't been able to admit to,

一種我們不承認的悲傷

is often covered up with exaggerated doses of manic cheeriness.

通常會被強大瘋狂的快樂給掩沒住

We aren't happy, so much as incapable of allowing ourselves to feel even the slightest sadness.

我們並不開心，但我們不允許自己去感受到任何一絲的傷心

In case we were to be overwhelmed by our buried grief.

免得我們自己被悲傷給淹沒掉

We develop a brittle insistent tendency to say that,

我們傾向發展出一種既脆弱又實在的說法：

"All is very well,""This is lovely, isn't it?"

「一切都很好」、「一切都很美好，不是嗎？」

We might press leaving no room for any ideas to the contrary.

我們可能無法承受任何不一樣的想法

Irritability

易怒

Denied anger with a particular personal situation

對特定的個人情況感到氣憤

often seeps out into a generalized irritability.

時常會變成一種廣泛性的易怒特質

So successful is the lie, we don't really know what's up.

成功的謊話就是我們根本不知道發生了什麼事情

We just keep losing our tempers.

我們就只是一直發脾氣而已

Someone moved the TV remote. There are two eggs in the fridge.

有人移動了電視遙控器。在冰箱中有兩顆雞蛋

The electricity bill is slightly higher than we expected.

電費帳單比我們預計的還高出了一點點

Anything can set us off.

任何事情都會讓我們憤怒不已

Our brains are so filled with how frustrating, annoying things are.

我們的腦子是充滿了許多挫折和惱人的事情

We have cleverly left no space at all for focusing on the true and very sad issue.

我們機靈地忽略掉事實以及傷心的事情

Denigration

損害

We tell ourselves that we simply don't care about something.

我們告訴我們自己：我們完全不在意那件事情

Love or politics, career success or intellectual life.

愛、政治、事業上的成功、或是知性的生活

That beautiful student or the house we can't afford.

那美麗的學生或是那間我們買不起的房子

And we are very emphatic about our lack of interest and complete disdain.

我們非常不在意那些事情並且完全地輕視

We go to great lengths to make it very clear to others and ourselves

我們會不惜一切讓他人以及我們自己知道

how absolutely unconcerned we are.

我們是多麼不在意

Censoriousness

批判

We grow censorious and deeply disapproving of certain kinds of behavior and people.

我們會逐漸對特定的行為或是人們批評以及嚴重的譴責

What we don't admit is that was so full of condemnation,

我們不想承認的事情是在那麼多的譴責之中

only because we need to ward off awareness

就只是因為我們想忽略掉

that a part of us in fact really likes the condemned element.

我們的內心其實有一部分喜歡那些被譴責的事情

We attack certain sexual tastes as utterly deviant and beyond the pale,

我們反對特定的性喜好，視那些為完全不正常的以及違反社會規範的

precisely because we have known that we share them, somewhere inside ourselves.

就因為我們知道在我們的內心深處中也有著相同想法

So we're delighted when particular people are arrested or shamed in the press.

所以，當看到特定的人們在新聞裡被抓或是被羞辱時，我們會很開心

What they did was utterly awful, we insist are outraged

我們堅信他們做的事情是非常不好

shielding us from any risks spotting the connection between them and us.

並且防止我們跟他們會有任何瓜葛

Defensiveness

防禦性

When there's unwelcomed news, we may resort to a highly successful diversionary tactic,

當遇到一件不好的事情時，我們可能會採取一個高度成功的分心策略：

taking offense.

生氣

A colleague tries to give us a bit of feedback.

一個同事試著要給予我們一些意見

Instantly, we accuse them of rudeness, arrogance in a sense of entitlement.

不過，我們會馬上責備他們的無禮、自以為是

A partner points something out.

一位夥伴指出一件事

We get furious that they're piling pressure on us at a difficult point.

我們會很生氣，因為他們又要我們在難題上做決定

Feeling offended takes up all our attention.

我們感覺到自己被冒犯而久久無法釋懷

It muddies the waters.

使得我們看不到真相

We no longer have to pay attention to information that is it heart correct but challenging.

我們不再能接受那些既合理又挑戰性的訊息

Cynicism, Despair

憤世嫉俗，絕望

We're sad about particular things.

我們會對特定的事物感到傷心

But confronting them would be so arduous, we generalize and universalize the sadness.

但是，面對這些事物是艱苦的，因此我們會概化以及簡單化這樣的悲傷感

We don't say that X or Y has made us sad.

我們不是說X或是Y會使我們感到傷心

We say that everything is rather terrible and everyone is rather awful.

我們指的是每件事情都會相當的悲慘，要不然就是每個人都會相當的陰險

We spread the pain,

我們散播這樣的痛苦

in order that its particular specific causes

為了讓那幾個特定的原因

can no longer be the focus of attention.

不再吸引我們的注意力

Our sadness gets, to put it metaphorically, lost in the crowd.

打個比方，也就是說我們的傷心將消失在人海之中

Why is lying to ourselves a problem?

為什麼自欺欺人是個問題呢？

We need to tell yourself the truth when we can,

如果可以的話，我們都必須讓自己知道真相

for the simple reason that we often pay a very high price

主要的原因是我們到時會常常需要付出相當大的代價

for the short-term calm of our lies.

來獲得那短時間因為說謊所獲得的安寧

We miss key opportunities for growth and learning.

我們失去了成長以及學習的關鍵時刻

We're not very nice to be around.

我們對周圍的人都不友善

We develop harmful systems.

我們發展出有害的機制

And not least, the truth will be out.

尤其還會否定真相

When we don't let it emerge,

當我們否定真相時

it has a tendency to reveal itself through involuntary often physical symptoms.

它反而會自然而然地從身體徵兆顯露出來

We become insomniac or impotent. An eyelid starts twitching.

我們會失眠或是虛弱無力。我們的一個眼皮會開始跳得不停

We acquire a stutter, and scream in our sleep and lose energy.

我們說話會結結巴巴，而在睡夢中尖叫並失去了活力

We fall into depression.

我們會變得沮喪

We owe it to ourselves to dare to start to confront our real nature.

為了我們自己，我們要開始勇敢面對真實的自己