How Do People Deceive Themselves?

One issue that draws people into trouble and unseen torment is their self-deception and belief in the world's falsehoods. By inculcation, a person can persuade himself that something he wants to be true, really is.

Since he interprets events in a way as he wishes to view them, he comes to believe in his own interpretations—so much so that even when those offering a different opinion are clearly telling the truth, he thinks that they are committing an error.

For example, by one's own self-inculcation, a person may come to think that his friends do not love him enough. Through such interpretations of every incident, he may create plenty of evidence that he is right.

Even if people make satisfactory explanations and perform acts that ought to prove the contrary, a person who has convinced himself that he is right respects none of them. He uses every detail to reinforce his own assumptions and even makes up imaginary evidence to convince himself of what he wants to believe.

The fact is, however, that the person in question views the world as he wants to and interprets events as he likes. For this reason, he lives in continual torment.

This characteristic can be observed in most people in ignorant societies, but may also be seen in believers who have not fully established faith in their hearts and who fail to interpret every incident in their lives according to the Qur'an.

Failure to interpret events in the light of the Qur'an always drives people into error. Where they do not take the Qur'an as their guideline, people make decisions according to the ignorant society's viewpoint.

That is to say, they will side with their selfish desires and the satan's. As a result, they view every event around them, including their perceptions about themselves, in a twisted way that arises principally from their own self-deception.

For example, a person regarded to be heedless according to the morality of the Qur'an may consider himself to be very kind, according to his ignorant viewpoint. Alternatively, one who behaves arrogantly according to the Qur'an's definition may think himself to be very humble and submissive, since he fails to measure his behavior by the Qur'an and think in its terms.

In the same way, those of weak faith may convince themselves they fear Allah, are wholly and purely committed to the morality of the Qur'an and are completely honest and sincere towards Him.

However, at this stage, people have a number of irrational judgments contrary to the Qur'an that they employ to convince themselves and suppress their consciences. Rationalizing these flawed judgments within themselves, they convince themselves that they do not fall afoul of the religion and that their excuses will be accepted in the sight of Allah. Such an attitude distances people from sincerity.

The claims and attitudes of people who deceive themselves prove to be incompatible, for they also claim to be pious Muslims. But such an attitude always causes them trouble.

Subconsciously aware of their true lack of moral perfection, they endure constant pangs of conscience. Nevertheless, instead of taking notice of these and correcting the flaws in their behavior, they prefer to deceive themselves and cover up their mistakes. This in turn causes them material and spiritual harm.