Here's a conversation I've had many times in the course of my work.
"Okay Mrs Smith, jump on the scales and let's see what you weigh."
(A look of terror appears on her face).
"Aaah... do I have to?"
"Well, I need to collect some baseline data before we start your program and this is part of that process."
(Mrs Smith, deep in thought, mind racing)
"Hmm, er, okay... but don't tell me what they say."
"What who says?"
"The scales!"
"But you weigh what you weigh — not knowing your weight doesn't make you lighter or healthier."
"Yeah, but it will depress me if I know."
"But maybe that knowledge (truth) will jolt you into reality and change."
"No, thanks."
Some of us have a gift for ignoring the facts. Ignoring reality. For not dealing with the truth. Things which are impacting our life in some way (like it or not), only we haven't really acknowledged the fact yet.
"Sorry. Can't see or hear anything; my head's covered in sand."
And while there's no (global) absolutes on this stuff, and I know that we could cite many instances where people might be better off to not know certain things, like kids not knowing certain stuff for example (although I will say I was kinda pissed when I learned the truth about that whole 'Santa' thing... last year), and I guess we could get all philosophical and esoteric and say "there is no absolute truth, only the reality we create" (while wearing our tie-dye T-shirt and eating our tofu), but, nah. I think we should avoid the mumbo-jumbo, what's-real-and-what's-not debate and talk about our undeniable tendency to ignore the obvious, to conveniently overlook the truth, to live in denial and to not make decisions or take action when we should.
We are very skilled at not dealing with things (issues, habits, challenges, situations) which should or could have been addressed (and rectified) long ago. Things which will absolutely impact on our life in the future (if they're not already).
We have an amazing capacity to sit on our hands when we're not using those hands to point blame at someone else. If I had a picture of an eight-year-old with her fingers in her ears saying, "La, la, la... can't hear you.. can't heeeeeeaar you" (very loudly), I'd insert it here. I don't, so help me out and use your imagination. Thanks.
When (for example) do many people (okay, mainly men) make any kind of significant decision about their health? Yep, usually when they have their first heart attack. If they live. So educated — and so stupid all at the same time. Such alpha male warriors — and such big babies.
Article comments
1 - Nancy
A lot of the time people try to ignore 'the facts' not because they prefer to go on the way they are, but because a) they're scared of change, b) they don't know how to deal with the situation, either by making a change or ending it, or c) there is no viable alternative. What's that saying? Better the devil you know that the angel you don't? Fear of the unknown or unfamiliar is awfully pervasive in every living species. It's a big hurdle to overcome, whether it pertains to diet & exercise, or any other aspect of living. It's not always the outcome of laziness.