Corner of Thought: The Human Experience

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once said, “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true. The other is to refuse to believe what is true.”

At first glance, it sounds simple. Yet, when you really sit with it, you realize these two traps quietly shape much of our lives.

Believing What Isn’t True

We’ve all fallen for this one. It might be a false promise, a misleading headline, or a belief about ourselves that someone else planted in our mind. These are the lies that come dressed up as truth—convincing enough that we don’t question them.

It could be:

Believing you’re “not good enough” because of past mistakes. Believing someone’s version of reality without checking for yourself. Believing success is only for “certain kinds of people.”

The danger here is that these falsehoods often feel comforting or familiar. They give us certainty, but at the cost of clarity. And certainty without truth is a dangerous kind of blindness.

Refusing to Believe What Is True

This is the other side of the coin—and in many ways, it’s even more dangerous. Here, the truth is right in front of us, but we turn away. Why? Because truth can be uncomfortable. It can challenge our worldview, our pride, or our sense of security.

Examples include:

Ignoring red flags in a relationship because you don’t want it to end. Denying a health issue because you don’t want to face lifestyle changes. Rejecting evidence that contradicts what you’ve always believed.

The refusal to believe what is true isn’t always an act of stubbornness—it’s often a form of self-protection. But it’s a shield that eventually cracks. Reality has a way of making itself known, whether we welcome it or not.

Why This Matters

Both traps—believing the false and denying the true—stem from the same place: fear. Fear of change. Fear of uncertainty. Fear of losing the identity we’ve built around what we “know.”

But the truth, however uncomfortable, is the only foundation that can hold the weight of a real life. Lies may feel easier in the moment, but they always cost more in the long run.

Living with Open Eyes

To avoid these traps, we must be willing to question our beliefs—especially the ones that feel most certain. We have to ask ourselves:

“Do I believe this because it’s true, or because I want it to be true?” “Am I rejecting this idea because it’s false, or because it makes me uncomfortable?”

Being open to truth means risking discomfort, but it also means gaining freedom. And when you stop being fooled—by others or by yourself—you start living with a kind of clarity that can’t be shaken.

The truth will set you free—but only if you let it in.