the human capacity for self-deception is extraordinary, sometimes also adaptive and life-preserving when the facts are experienced as unmanageable. Whether the context is personal or political, all of us can create layers of defensiveness and denial when we have done harm. One tells oneself, “It wasn’t my fault,” or “I couldn’t help myself,” or “It was necessary,” or “It’s not that big a deal.” The more serious the harm, the deeper the levels of self-deception that come into play, and one tells oneself, “She really asked for it,” or “I didn’t do it,” and even “It never happened.”
