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The Denial Factor
Living Truth Through Denial

There are six different forms
of Denial.
Look around you and see which
forms of denial are impacting you.

Definitions of Denial

Denial of fact:
This form of denial is where someone avoids a fact by
lying. Someone who is in denial of fact is typically using
potentially painful to themselves or others.

Denial of responsibility:
This form of denial involves avoiding personal
responsibility by blaming, minimizing or justifying.
Someone using denial of responsibility is usually
attempting to avoid potential harm or pain by shifting
attention away from themselves.

Denial of impact:
Denial of impact involves a person avoiding thinking
about or understanding the harms their behavior have
caused to themselves or others. Denial of impact reduces
or eliminates a sense of pain or harm from poor decisions.

Denial of awareness:
This type of denial is best discussed by looking at the
concept of state dependent learning. This type of denial
often overlaps with denial of responsibility.

Denial of cycle:
Many who use this type of denial will say things such as,
"it just happened." Denial of cycle is where a person
avoids looking at their decisions leading up to an event
or does not consider their pattern of decision making and
how harmful behavior is repeated. It can also serve as a
way to blame or justify behavior (see above).

Denial of denial:
This can be a difficult concept for many people to
identify in themselves, but is a major barrier to changing
hurtful behaviors.

1. Think about your life for a
moment.

2. Look at those whom you
know, and how they act.

3. Read the definitions.

Now ask yourself "Do I fit in
any, or all of these
categories?"

Now, here is the hard part.
Try and live for one day
without using Denial as a way
of life.

If one day is too easy, then try
two or three.

If all of the above is simple,
then exercise avoiding denial
for the rest of your life.

part of life, you are
commended and excused from
taking the Quiz.