Science / Medicine : Illusions About Self, Others

Some illusions about oneself and the world may be healthy, several independent researchers reported, contending that a moderately inflated view of one’s abilities and of the reasonableness of the world may serve as a buffer against painful events.

Presenting papers on the benefits and drawbacks of illusions, psychologists said new research challenges the traditional view that they are unhealthy. People with some illusions appear healthier, happier and better adjusted, and they perform better, researchers said.

Illusions appear to be especially useful in helping victims to cope with traumatic events such as violent crime, fatal illness and disabling accidents. Illusions appear to enable people to find positive meaning in such events and thus rebuild their shattered beliefs.

Shelley E. Taylor, a professor of psychology at UCLA, said illusions “enable people to achieve that enviable state of rulership described by George Orwell: the ability to believe in one’s own infallibility coupled with the power to learn from past mistakes.”