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Christian Orlic's avatar

Really interesting and insightful -- worth considering than the same traits can be helpful or harmful in different context -- perhaps this follows from your discussion of thing being different in USA than in other places.

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Ian Jobling's avatar

Thanks! I get into the issue of illusions being functional and dysfunctional in different contexts in an essay I wrote previously, but there's a lot more to say about that issue. https://open.substack.com/pub/eclecticinquiries/p/are-illusions-good-for-you?r=4952v2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Constantine Sedikides wrote a lot about how contextual differences affect whether self-enhancement is functional. https://lirias.kuleuven.be/retrieve/362651

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Christian Orlic's avatar

This is all very interesting, thank you.

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j.e. moyer, LPC's avatar

I will make the case that illusions are necessary for developing a coherent self. Keep an eye out for it next week.

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Ian Jobling's avatar

Will do! I’m inclined to agree.

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Ian Jobling's avatar

A friend who is from a Catholic family and wishes to remain anonymous sent me this note about how my article tracks with his experience:

"Yeah, you're keeping up the good work, it seems. Nice sourcing of research on Xianity....anecdotes confirm that Roman Catholics have a strongly competitive desire to out-claim each other...which person knows the most minutiæ about the Church, who can pronounce Latin most quickly and with the most pleasant pronunciation, and forth."

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