Self-Deception - Part 1 - Denial - Factor #2

When the facts of an issue are accepted but the significance or impact is denied, it could be said we are minimizing. For example, a woman might admit that her husband has an “issue” with anger, but it is the impact of his abuse that she cannot accept. We tend to minimize in such cases because we are afraid and feel powerless. This is especially true where the threat of further abuse is present. In these situations, the survivor attempts to minimize the impact of the abuse, because she is terrified of reprisal and generally feels powerless in the cycle of abuse. Yet something must be done to resist or adapt to the distress. In cases where simple denial is no longer effective, survivors are likely to cope with the ongoing distress by acknowledging that a problem exists, but accepting the impact of the abuse will prove to be a whole other challenge. Conversely, in cases where we have perpetrated sin upon others, we might admit to the facts but minimize the damage caused by our actions.

Discover more about denial and how to overcome its crippling effects in my new book, The Conditioned Mind.