Group work on Self-Deception
Break up into small groups. Delegate one or more members of your group to prepare a summary of your group's discussion.
1. Have each member of your group share one story based on experience of what would be taken to be self-deception. Pick two of your group's stories to share with the class. (Pick at least one in light of the next question.)
2. In the two experience you chose to share with the class, what do the members of your group think made the self-deception possible?
3. Do any members of your group remember deceiving themselves? If so, and if they are willing to tell the tale, please have them do so.
4. Given your responses to the above questions, what do you think about self-deception? Are there times when it would be a good thing, and should not be avoided? Are there times when it should be avoided? If so, how?
5. How, if at all, does deception in general rely on self-deception
to work? Please use Orson Scott Card's "The Best Day" (from Maps in a Mirror) or Kurt
Vonnegut's "More Stately Mansions" (in Welcome to the Monkey House)
in
your answer if you can.