> Everyone lies, needs to suspend disbelief...

It's wild to me that somehow we're wrong for not wanting to have to do this every day to get by...

Yup. I've long been semi-curious about deceit, lying, etc. From studies of how our primate cousins lie to each other in the never-ending game of Get The Banana to every day Machiavellianism.

Does the person lying to me know they're lying? Surely they know that I know, right?

I'm also terrified that I'm lying to myself. Am I just in denial? Is some level of wishful thinking necessary? What are my blind spots?

I'm no smarter about any of this stuff (The Human Condition) than anyone else.

ICYMI, I enjoyed the book Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28512671-everybody-lies

Please share any books, links, observations you have. TIA.