Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Following a brief review of the traditional viewpoint regarding the adaptiveness of accurately perceiving reality, the emerging perspective on the usefulness of illusions about the self is presented. In this latter vein, a model of how people negotiate with “reality” so as to maintain their personal theories of being “good and in-control” people is described, and excuse-making and hoping are discussed as examples of such reality negotiation processes. The implications of the reality negotiation processes for society in general and individuals in particular are also explored. Last, theoretical speculations are made in regard to the conditions in which the illusion-based reality negotiation processes change from being adaptive to maladaptive.
C. R. Snyder (Thu,) studied this question.