About this quote

Self-deception erodes the line between what you know and what you tell yourself, and that confusion eats away at self-respect. When you keep small falsehoods in place, they compound until you stop trusting your own judgment and start treating others poorly. Notice the little excuses you repeat and write them down, then test them against hard facts. Tell one honest person what you actually did and make one concrete correction this week.

When to use it

• Before my performance review, when I've been inflating my contributions, I think of 'don't lie to yourself' and decide to correct the record with my manager.
• When I'm tempted to hide late-night online purchases from my partner, I remember the line and bring the receipts to the conversation instead.
• After skipping workouts for two weeks and blaming 'being busy,' I repeat the quote to myself and book three firm training sessions on my calendar.
• When I'm considering copying parts of a classmate's assignment to meet the deadline, that sentence stops me and I ask for an extension or do the work honestly.