Illusion and self-delusion are mainstays of how we think. You might say they are essential to our survival, or at least the survival of our sense of self. We each decide what is real for us, and what is not. Even something is not real, we can still decide that it is, and defend it as though it exists, eb=ven though we also know that it doesn’t. We believe the illusion that we’ve created for ourselves.

There’s an eternal debate about the nature of reality. What’s true and real is prized above all else, and – let’s say – at least 50% of our energy is expended each day on shoring up and defending the things that are true and real for us. If you need proof that the imagination rulles, this is it!

In some people’s cases, as we know, it’s a lot more than 50% (I’ve plucked these figures from the air for illustration, they are no more real than the pixels that make up this page).

The fact is, we always believe our own thoughts and imagination first. Mostly, we unquestioningly trust them. What’s real for me is true and what’s true for me is real. The same goes for you, so we have to take things on faith because there simply isn’t the time to check everything as we go along.

Accepting that this is the case (it’s true, after all), makes for a simpler life. It’s a starting point for more honest and productive relationships.