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Self-deception

Psychology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A psychological defense mechanism involving unconscious denial or distortion of reality to preserve self-worth or avoid discomfort.

Detailed Definition
Self-deception masks painful truths. Poetry exposes it through dramatic irony, contradictory statements, or unreliable narration, revealing the gap between stated belief and emotional reality.
Example
Example in poetry:
In T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” self-deception masks social anxiety; In Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus,” self-deception performs resurrection; In Robert Frost’s “Home Burial,” self-deception avoids confronting loss; In Emily Dickinson’s “After great pain, a formal feeling comes,” self-deception numbs grief; In W.B. Yeats’ “Leda and the Swan,” self-deception inheres in the violent encounter; In Ocean Vuong’s “Aubade with Burning City,” self-deception echoes in survival amid war.
Additional Notes
Self-deception—lying to oneself—is often revealed through dramatic irony in poetry (Eliot, Frost); differs from denial by its active construction of false belief; poetic techniques include unreliable narration, euphemism, or contradictory statements; students should track how self-deception unravels; note its tragic potential—self-deception blinds to truth.
Also Known As
Self-delusion Denial Rationalization Wishful thinking Delusion Illusion
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