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
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