Reality Ruminations: Reflected as an Angel

I have always struggled with the ability of some people to create and perpetuate massive and unsettling lies about themselves, circumstances and events. The struggle was also with myself as my memories often were met with "that never happened" or "it didn't occur that way". What is going on?

I have read about 'Moral Disengagement' where a person excuses their own hurtful or bad (and I know that is subjective) actions within a moral framework that would justify and excuse or 'dress up' those actions as judicial or necessary or whatever made it palatable to them, but does that explain simple re-interpretations that aren't necessarily so morally loaded?

I recently had the experience of coming into conflict with a person who simply appeared disengaged from reality. He was saying things were done that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt never were and further that things weren't done that I know beyond a shadow of doubt were. I accept that interpretations can differ but he now (as this is a recent invention) has no such doubt of my obvious culpability. Is he simply mendacious or is something deeper going on? Normally I would not be particularly concerned except the he has now embarked on a campaign of misinformation that appears to be readily accepted by others. What is even more perplexing is that those relationships that were previously successful with great outcomes are suddenly being re-interpretated by them as abject failures despite prior emails of congratulations and past conversations of gratitude. It is like a spreading virus that is corrupting the holy into a decayed shadow of its former self.

In seeking answers I came across an article called "THE 'PATHOLOGICAL DISHONESTY' DISEASE" by William J. Beaty, 1998.

It reads: "The "liars" are formidable opponents because they have no need to ever surrender. When you take them on, you aren't even dealing with a human, instead you are fighting an unleashed subconscious which has far more extensive mental resources than normal. Also, they can tell enormous lies with a clear conscience, and people will believe their side of the story without a second thought, since their attitude and body-language is that of a truth teller. REAL truth-tellers always have some self-doubt, and when they go up against one of the liars, the liars appear to be far more truthful than the genuine truth-tellers."

The original full article is HERE.

After reading further I found that this sort of "Convenient Disremembering" is a defence mechanism we all have. If we are challenged or 'called' on poor behaviour, our subconscious launches into defence mode and begins reinterpretating reality to cover the hole. I know I have done that in the past myself when my behaviour has been less that noble. Either within my own mind or in conversation with those around me I have 'modified' what really happened to shine a better light, not overtly or intentionally but certainly with an element of subconscious spin. This might perhaps sound like a minor infraction but it is actually quite hideous when you look at it deeper. I guess that is why you hear that even mass murderers believe they are good people and something (generally outside of themselves) justified, caused or created the terrible behaviour.

Beaty in his article also says that we "also put much emphasis on the idea that all of reality is just a matter of opinion. A very strange viewpoint. Though the "blind men" disagree, this doesn't have any effect on the elephant!". I wonder given the discoveries of quantum scientists that the observer has an impact on the fabric of reality whether it actually does have an effect on the elephant. Perhaps in the agreed conversations of humans the past and present is changed and I now need to apologise.