# What IS The Word For Believing Your Own Statements? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016 "2015-10-09T11:42:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/1 "2015-10-09T11:42:25Z")
I came here to ask this and was immediately derailed by three threads. However, there is a specific word for convincing your self what you have said is true- even though it may be a lie. Just one word and it is driving me around the twist. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/2 "2015-10-09T11:54:54Z")
In the book _1984_ they use the word “doublethink” for sincerely believing your own lies. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/3 "2015-10-09T12:02:53Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > In the book _1984_ they use the word “doublethink” for sincerely believing your own lies. Sorry- not the word I’m looking for. I came across it in a book such as “You are not so smart” ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/4 "2015-10-09T12:07:47Z")
I don’t think “cognitive dissonance” is the term you are looking for, but it is a closely related concept. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/5 "2015-10-09T12:11:05Z")
I almost used Cognitive Dissonance in the original post (I deleted it) but after looking it up I didn’t think it really capture what I was looking for. Great minds…? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/6 "2015-10-09T12:46:31Z")
It’s not self-deception, is it? ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/7 "2015-10-09T13:06:09Z")
I would use self deluded rather than self deception. Also self deluding, self delusional and self delusion. Not sure about a hyphen. I’ve omitted it here but I am probably deluding myself. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/8 "2015-10-09T14:01:15Z")
George Costanza: “It’s not a lie if YOU believe it!” Sorry, don’t know the word for it though. Cognitive dissonance is the closest thing I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/9 "2015-10-09T14:43:00Z")
Self delusion is the word. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/10 "2015-10-09T22:26:51Z")
Hmm… the OP didn’t specify that the speaker was definitely wrong, just that objective truth was not guaranteed- so none of the words that require the speaker to be wrong are appropriate either. The word I would use would be ingenuous. Similarly, you can be disingenuous whether or not it turns out that your words end up being objectively true. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/11 "2015-10-09T22:37:47Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > Hmm… the OP didn’t specify that the speaker was definitely wrong, just that objective truth was not guaranteed- so none of the words that require the speaker to be wrong are appropriate either. > > The word I would use would be ingenuous. > > Similarly, you can be disingenuous whether or not it turns out that your words end up being objectively true. To me ‘ingenuous’ means something like naive or innocent. I’ve never heard it used in this context before. I would just say ‘confident’ or ‘self-assured’ to avoid the presumption of falsehood. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/12 "2015-10-09T22:43:39Z")
Perhaps ‘self-reinforcing’ fits the OP better. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/13 "2015-10-09T22:50:52Z")
Or maybe you mean ‘rationalising’? Could you provide us with the context? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/14 "2015-10-09T23:00:27Z")
“convincing your self what you have said is true- even though it may be a lie. Just one word and it is driving me around the twist.” I’m going to have to agree with “rationalize.” ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/15 "2015-10-09T23:17:57Z")
Sincere ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/16 "2015-10-10T00:32:47Z")
“He’s a legend in his own mind.” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/17 "2015-10-10T01:22:23Z")
> [@Barrett\_Bonden](#): > > Sincere Honest is another word. Just because you’re not lying doesn’t mean you’re correct. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/18 "2015-10-10T01:27:45Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > In the book _1984_ they use the word “doublethink” for sincerely believing your own lies. No, doublethink means the ability to hold two, mutually contradictory, ideas in your head simultaneously and accept the one that is most appropriate at the time. ---
**Author:** ![kingsley92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@kingsley92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingsley92)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/19 "2015-10-10T01:34:48Z")
confidence. ---
**Author:** ![DtypeJag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@DtypeJag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DtypeJag)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/20 "2015-10-10T02:31:18Z")
The word you are looking for is RELIGIOUS. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016.md?page=2)