When reality is formed through our personal view, we attempt to think our way out of pain, which simultaneously maintains our story and perpetuates the pain. The sense-of-self only knows how to handle problems and proceed using its story, which is composed of thoughts and emotions that have formed around past failures and successes. We prefer to tackle one problem at a time, resolving the first before moving onto the next. This strategy is derived from the storyteller who attempts to perpetuate his purpose  and meaning by resolving the difficulties of his story. Each resolved problem or failure confirms a growing self-image and adds a new chapter to our tale of woe or sense of nobility.

Rodney Smith, Stepping out of Self-Deception