Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud [1856-1939] in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.
Certain personality disorders tend to be characterized by denial more than others. For example, those with narcissistic personality disorder deny information that suggests they are not perfect.
Harvard Psychology Professor Steven Pinker [born 1954] does not consider himself a radical thinker; watch the video of his discussion about his book The Blank Slate: A Modern Denial of Human Nature and judge for yourself.
