Reality Doesn't Negotiate

The hidden cost of the mental edits we make every day

Most people smooth over reality.

They create psychological account tricks. Mental edits. Little lies they tell themselves to avoid facing what’s actually there.

I saw this firsthand on a hike out into the desert.

My girlfriend and I encountered a rattlesnake two hours into our trek. We calmly went around it and continued on.

At the turnaround point, we met some tourists heading back the same way.

I mentioned the snake. Simple courtesy.

One woman immediately freaked out. “Oh don’t tell me that. I’ve never seen a rattlesnake before. Now i’m going to be scared going back... So thanks,” she said with obvious irritation.

Her husband had a completely different reaction. He asked practical questions. What to do if they see one. What happens if someone gets bit.

Where we were, a snake bite meant helicopter evacuation or death. No one would make it to a hospital in time.

Two people. Same reality. Completely different approaches.

One refused to face it. One leaned in.

Comfortable Lies Compound into Crisis