It turns out ignorance is bliss… about yourself.
An interesting article in PsyBlog discusses some research by Sweeney et al (2010) about why we avoid truth about ourselves.
http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/07/why-people-avoid-the-truth-about-themselves.php
According the research, the three reasons we avoid information about ourselves are:
1. It may demand a change in beliefs. Loads of evidence suggests people tend to seek information that confirms their beliefs rather than disproves them.
2. It may require us to take undesired actions. Telling the doctor about those weird symptoms means you might have to undergo painful testing. Sometimes it seems like it’s better not to know.
3. It may cause unpleasant emotions.
The item in the list above is one of the most compelling when it comes to making change, dealing with change, and why we avoid it.
To read more about this check out the blog at the link above.
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