It's a state of mind. A state of being.
It can be a way of life.
It can be an easier choice......
According to dictionary.com:
de-ni-al (dih-nay-uhl)
noun
1.
an assertion that something said, believed, alleged, etc., is false: Despite his denials, we knew he hadtaken the purse. The politician issued a denial of his opponent's charges.
2.
refusal to believe a doctrine, theory, or the like.
3.
disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing.
4.
the refusal to satisfy a claim, request, desire, etc., or the refusal of a person making it.
5.
refusal to recognize or acknowledge; a disowning or disavowal: the traitor's denial of his country; Peter'sdenial of Christ.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
Understanding denial and its purpose
Refusing to acknowledge that something's wrong is a way of coping with emotional conflict, stress, painful thoughts, threatening information and anxiety.
When you're in denial, you:
- Refuse to acknowledge a stressful problem or situation
- Avoid facing the facts of the situation
- Minimize the consequences of the situation
In its strictest sense, denial is an unconscious process. You don't generally decide to be in denial about something. But some research suggests that denial might have a conscious component — on some level, you might choose to be in denial.
Common reasons for denial:
- A chronic or terminal illness
- Depression or other mental health conditions
- Addiction
- Financial problems
- Job difficulties
- Relationship conflicts
- Traumatic events
I see the state of denial every day on television, in the papers, in my friends, on the internet and in the mirror. Being a slave to all things real, I find this insistent state in which we all live somewhat perplexing.
- We "believe" that our food is healthy and made with care (factory farming, preservatives, mass production). Surely even a 8yr old can see that these things do not equal a "healthy" but rather "convenient" .
- We "believe" that the media will tell us the truth, at least between the lines.
- We "believe" that excuses we make in every day life make us better than our former selves, than others, than each other.
- We "believe" that a large number of "likes" makes us accepted.
- We "believe" what the mirror shows us, be it good or bad.
All of it is lies.
I am firmly of the opinion that denial is a choice.
An easier one.
Everything we are fed and conditioned to "believe" is disrespectful to our own ability to see our own truth. We are encouraged to live in denial. After all, it is an easier state of being.
- If I am healthy = I am good
- If I support the preferred party = I am good
- If I do X, Y and Z = I am good
- If others like me = I am good
- If the mirror shows me what I want to see (or what the magazines tell us) = I am good
What if we accepted that to be kind to others and ourselves would be living in truth?
What if we accepted that our beliefs and behaviours formed who we really are?
What if we chose not to listen but to see?.................
