vital lie (1) an instance of self-deception (or lying to oneself) when it fosters hope, confidence, self-esteem, mental health, or creativity; (2) any false belief or unjustified attitude that helps people cope with difficulties; (3) a lie to other people designed to promote their wellbeing. For example, self-deceiving optimism about one’s prospects for success in work or personal relationships may generate hope, mobilize energy, enrich life’s meaning, and increase chances for success. Henrik Ibsen dramatized ‘life-lies’ as essential for happiness (The Wild Duck, 1884), and Eugene O’Neill portrayed ‘pipe dreams’ as necessary crutches (The Iceman Cometh, 1939). Nietzsche endorsed ‘pious illusions’ or ‘holy fictions’ about the past that liberate individuals and societies from shame and guilt (On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life, 1874). Schiller praised normal degrees of vanity and self-conceit because they support selfesteem (Problems of Belief, 1924). See also BAD FAITH , FALSE CONSCIOUSNES. M.W.M.