Denial

The greatest obstacle to personal development is the human mind's propensity to deny the obvious. While denial contributes to optimism in times of stress, denial also erodes effective action in times of prosperity and security. One true measure of a person's depth, in my opinion, is a person's ability to combat denial in daily life. 

"He's so real." I have heard this said in both a positive and negative way. When said in a positive way, it is usually an appreciation of a person's ability to cut through group denial to a core fact of a situation. When it is said in a negative way, it is usually a statement of intimidation by a person whose denial has been pierced by a meaningful, more objective, observation about their subjective experience. 

I believe the basis of all denial is the conflict between our perception of our mortal human condition and our imagination or visualization of an alternative reality. Religion, for example, is a defense mechanism stemming from this basic conflict of the human mind. Religion is a ritualized form of group denial. 

Recognizing and putting aside denial consciously is extremely hard work. Anyone who successfully copes with a serious medical diagnosis knows what I mean. Keeping denial at bay in daily practice is like lifting weights. It requires regular practice with increasingly difficult challenges to build stamina for maintaining happiness with the human condition as it really is.