Is there a price to living in denial?

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Yes, there are huge prices to denial.

-Your whole world comes crashing down on you once the mechanisms behind your denial can no longer distort reality
-It makes you susceptible to believing false things which are based on the same logic you used to deny in the first place
-The mechanisms behind denial don't work as conveniently as you think
-You've never trained yourself to be mentally tough, so that makes the world crashing thing even harder to deal with

'Denial' itself can be a tricky slope.

If you say you're in denial about something, some people will take it as you're in denial about everything, especially if you disagree with them.

Of course, sometimes denial is the only answer. I suppose it can help you function in the short term, but in the long term...

^ Yeah, defense mechanisms are meant to be short term. Nothing wrong with it for a short time since your brain lacks the resources at the time to deal with it in a more realistic way. If it did, your subconscious wouldn't push the defense mechanism on you in the first place.

Ok, I put the ideas together here:

(Could those who contributed ideas A6 and B7 explain them a bit? I don't think I understand them...

Denial


A) The price of denial

1. Mediocrity - not evolving, not growing, not achieving full potential
2. Self-destruction - needing to engage in destructive actions to distract from the reality
3. Major crisis when something goes wrong and the denial system is shattered
4. No building of strength of character to face misfortune
5. Not being taken seriously
6. Self-misleading - being susceptible to believing false things which are based on the same logic you used to deny in the first place

B) How denial is achieved

1. Avoidance – "Not going there", diverting attention from the uncomfortable truth
2. Displaced blame for the bad feelings onto somebody or something else; scapegoating
3. Distraction – busying oneself with other things so as not to think about it
4. Distortion - restating the uncomfortable truth so that it fits into one's current worldview
5. Negation - attempting to prove the uncomfortable thing untrue
6. Unburdening - Taking your upset out on others
7. Rationalization - trying to look at it logically, detaching yourself from your feelings
8. Minimizing - deciding the uncomfortable truth isn't all that important after all.

Ditto, Lienda.

B7--is "intellectualizing", basically. People who tend to be rather logical will often deal with problems by ignoring their feelings and paying attention only to their rational thoughts. Think Spock and you've probably got it.

I've been told I do that. But I don't engage in denial, I only analyze facts and events and come up with conclusions... What would feelings help here for?

doging crocadiles