# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/21 "2015-10-10T02:42:04Z")
Sincere ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/22 "2015-10-10T05:34:30Z")
To believe your own lies is delusional. That may not be the term you’re looking for, but it’s an accurate description. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/23 "2015-10-10T05:42:16Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > 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. “Confabulating” might come near some cases of what you describe. ---
**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 10, 2015, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/24 "2015-10-10T08:37:46Z")
Unwavering as in he had an unwavable, unshakeable belief? TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/25 "2015-10-10T11:38:57Z")
Conviction. The word you are looking for is conviction. ---
**Author:** ![Richox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Richox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richox)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/26 "2015-10-10T12:20:17Z")
**Self-deception** is the only term that sums up OP’s exact question, in my view. the other options identified don’t meet the requirement that the person holds the belief just because they’ve said it/want to, even in the case where conflicting evidence is rationally known to them. otherwise it might fit a combination of commonly listed Cognitive Bias. It’s a little daunting reading through a list of these cognitive bias, and reflecting on how often oneself falls into these very same traps!! quite sobering. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/27 "2015-10-10T13:22:12Z")
Doesn’t provide a word for it but here’s [Carol Lay’s take on this](http://seiglefamily.com/data/onemorelie.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/28 "2015-10-10T17:33:10Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > “Confabulating” might come near some cases of what you describe. +1 ---
**Author:** ![TallTrees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TallTrees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TallTrees)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/29 "2015-10-10T20:39:48Z")
How about self-righteous? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/30 "2015-10-10T23:43:45Z")
> [@TallTrees](#): > > How about self-righteous? Self-righteousness doesn’t imply that what you are saying is false, just that you think that saying it makes you better than everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![yawuntz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@yawuntz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawuntz)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-believing-your-own-statements/734016/31 "2015-10-10T23:52:18Z")
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