The function of fiction...

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As I was running today I thought about the importance of the lies that we tell ourselves. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend.” “I haven’t gained 15 pounds since college.” "He's not cheating on me." “He loves me.” “This haircut looks great on me.” 

The book He's Just Not That Into You has made it harder to believe these lies. Still, they do serve a purpose.

These lies help us to make it through. They help us cope. They help us function. They help us live. They help us maintain a healthy outlook until we can deal with the truth.

I’m not talking about those who are so out of touch that they live in a fantasy world. Rather, I am talking about those regular folks who have so much going on in our lives that dealing with it all at once might break us.

The more that I thought about it the more I concluded that denial gets a bad break. Upon reflection, I don’t call it dysfunction at all. I call it balance…