Our Shadow Selves
The conflict between the need to be accurate and the desire to feel good about ourselves is one of the major battlegrounds of the self, and how this battle is waged and how it is won are central determinants of who we are and how we feel about ourselves.
A dose of self-deception can be helpful as well, enabling us to maintain a positive view of ourselves and an optimistic view of the future. (Strangers to Ourselves, p 39)