visual world or in my pockets, including left pocket, and I will not find it until I say the word out loud (“lighter”), then suddenly I spot it in my left visual field or feel it in my left pocket (this is a consequence of the brain being cross-wired—left-side information goes primarily to the right brain, which in turn controls movements by the left side). This happens, I believe, because the information I am searching for is not shared freely across the corpus callosum between the two sides of the brain but is apprehended by the right brain only when it hears the name of what is being searched for. Then suddenly the left visual field and left tactile side—under control of the right brain—are open to inspection.
Does this curious fact have anything to do with deceit and self-deception? I believe it does, because when I want to hide something from myself—for example, keys just lifted unconsciously from another person—they are promptly stored in my left pocket, where they will be slow to be discovered even when I am consciously searching for them. Likewise, I have noticed that “inadvertent” touching of women (that is, unconscious prior to the action) occurs exclusively with my left hand and comes as a surprise to my dominant left brain, which controls the right side of my body. In effect, the left brain, the linguistic side, is associated with consciousness; the right side (left hand) is less conscious.
This is supported by evidence that processes of denial—and subsequent rationalization—appear to reside preferentially in the left brain and are inhibited by the right brain. People with paralysis on the right side of the body (due to a stroke in the left brain) never or very rarely deny their condition. But a certain small percentage of those with left-side paralysis deny their stroke (anosognosia) and when confronted with strong counterevidence (film of their inability to move their left arm), they indulge in a remarkable series of rationalizations denying the cause of their paralysis (due to arthritis, not feeling very mobile today, overexercise). This is especially common and strong in individuals with large lesions to the right central side of the brain, and it is consistent with other evidence that the right brain is more emotionally honest and the left actively engaged in self-promotion. Normally people show a shorter response time to threatening words, but those with anosognosia show a longer time, demonstrating that they implicitly repress information regarding their own condition.
IMPOSED SELF-DECEPTION
So far we have spoken of self-deception evolving in the service of the actor, hiding deception and promoting an illusory self. Now consider effects of others on us. We are highly sensitive to others, and to their opinions, desires, and actions. More to the point, they can manipulate and dominate us. This can result in self-deception being imposed on us by others (with varying degrees of force). Extreme examples are instructive. A captive may come to identify with his or her captor, an abused wife may take on the worldview of her abuser, and molested children may blame themselves for the transgressions against them. These are cases of imposed self-deception, and if they are acting functionally from the standpoint of the victimized (by no means certain), they probably do so by reducing conflict with the dominant individual. At least this is often the theory of the participants themselves. An abused wife may be deeply frightened and may rationalize acquiescence as the path least likely to provoke additional severe assaults—this is most effective if actually believed.
The situations need not be nearly as extreme. Consider birds. In many small species, the male begins dominant—he has the territory into which the female settles. And he can displace her from preferred feeding sites. But as time goes on, his dominance drops, and when she reaches the stage of egg-laying, there is a reversal: she
Does this curious fact have anything to do with deceit and self-deception? I believe it does, because when I want to hide something from myself—for example, keys just lifted unconsciously from another person—they are promptly stored in my left pocket, where they will be slow to be discovered even when I am consciously searching for them. Likewise, I have noticed that “inadvertent” touching of women (that is, unconscious prior to the action) occurs exclusively with my left hand and comes as a surprise to my dominant left brain, which controls the right side of my body. In effect, the left brain, the linguistic side, is associated with consciousness; the right side (left hand) is less conscious.
This is supported by evidence that processes of denial—and subsequent rationalization—appear to reside preferentially in the left brain and are inhibited by the right brain. People with paralysis on the right side of the body (due to a stroke in the left brain) never or very rarely deny their condition. But a certain small percentage of those with left-side paralysis deny their stroke (anosognosia) and when confronted with strong counterevidence (film of their inability to move their left arm), they indulge in a remarkable series of rationalizations denying the cause of their paralysis (due to arthritis, not feeling very mobile today, overexercise). This is especially common and strong in individuals with large lesions to the right central side of the brain, and it is consistent with other evidence that the right brain is more emotionally honest and the left actively engaged in self-promotion. Normally people show a shorter response time to threatening words, but those with anosognosia show a longer time, demonstrating that they implicitly repress information regarding their own condition.
IMPOSED SELF-DECEPTION
So far we have spoken of self-deception evolving in the service of the actor, hiding deception and promoting an illusory self. Now consider effects of others on us. We are highly sensitive to others, and to their opinions, desires, and actions. More to the point, they can manipulate and dominate us. This can result in self-deception being imposed on us by others (with varying degrees of force). Extreme examples are instructive. A captive may come to identify with his or her captor, an abused wife may take on the worldview of her abuser, and molested children may blame themselves for the transgressions against them. These are cases of imposed self-deception, and if they are acting functionally from the standpoint of the victimized (by no means certain), they probably do so by reducing conflict with the dominant individual. At least this is often the theory of the participants themselves. An abused wife may be deeply frightened and may rationalize acquiescence as the path least likely to provoke additional severe assaults—this is most effective if actually believed.
The situations need not be nearly as extreme. Consider birds. In many small species, the male begins dominant—he has the territory into which the female settles. And he can displace her from preferred feeding sites. But as time goes on, his dominance drops, and when she reaches the stage of egg-laying, there is a reversal: she
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