Sartre’s Bad Faith: The Psychology of Self Deception

When we talk about freedom, most of us picture something awesome—like the ability to do whatever we want, go wherever we please, or say what’s on our mind. We cherish it and worry about losing it. But the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre flips this idea on its head.

For him, freedom isn’t just a gift; it’s a heavy burden that can actually scare us. Why? Because being truly free means you’re responsible for every choice you make, and that responsibility can make you anxious. Let’s break down Sartre’s view of freedom, why it’s so different, and how it shows up in everyday life.

Freedom Equals Responsibility

Sartre says that if you’re free to choose how you act, what you say, or even what you don’t do or say, then you’re on the hook for all of it. Every decision is yours, and there’s no one else to blame if things go wrong. That’s a lot to carry! Imagine you decide to skip studying for a test to hang out with friends. If you fail the test, you can’t just say, “Well, my friends made me do it.” You chose, and now you face the consequences. This responsibility can feel overwhelming, so sometimes we try to dodge it altogether.

Escaping Freedom with “Bad Faith”

To deal with this anxiety, Sartre says we often act in “bad faith.” This means we pretend we’re not free to avoid taking responsibility. It’s like we’re lying to ourselves, saying, “I had no choice,” when deep down, we know we did. For example, maybe you stay in a job you hate because you tell yourself, “I need the money, I can’t quit.”

Sure, money matters, but if you’re honest, you might see other options—like cutting expenses or looking for a new job. By acting like you’re trapped, you pass the blame to something else (like “the economy”) and avoid the stress of making a tough choice. Sartre thinks we do this all the time, and it’s a way of comforting ourselves by pretending we’re less free than we are.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Existentialists like Sartre care more about what you do than what you say. You can tell your friends you’re all about saving the environment, but if you’re always tossing plastic bottles in the trash instead of recycling, your actions tell a different story.

Sartre believes our true beliefs and desires show up in our choices, not our words. He even argues that we might not fully know what we believe because some of our deepest thoughts are buried in our minds, out of reach. Your actions, though, reveal who you are, whether you realize it or not.

Everyday Examples of Dodging Freedom

Let’s look at some situations where this idea of freedom and bad faith plays out. They’re super relatable and show how we sometimes shy away from our own power to choose.

The Netflix Struggle

Picture this: you’re ready to watch a movie on Netflix. You start scrolling through endless options—action, comedy, drama, horror. You see a movie that looks okay, but you think, “Maybe there’s something better.” So, you keep scrolling… and scrolling… until you’re so frustrated you just give up and don’t watch anything. Sound familiar?

That’s freedom overwhelming you. With so many choices, you’re paralyzed by the fear of picking the “wrong” movie. Or maybe your friend picks a film instead, and it’s terrible. You complain, “Why did you choose this?!” But secretly, you’re kind of relieved they decided for you. By letting them choose, you dodged the responsibility of making a bad pick. That’s bad faith in action.

Asking for Advice to Avoid Decisions

Another example is when someone constantly asks others for advice. You’ve probably met someone who’s always like, “What should I do?” or “Is this a good idea?” Maybe you’ve done it yourself. Sometimes, you genuinely want input, and that’s cool. But other times, asking for advice is a sneaky way to pass the buck.

If you ask your friend, “Should I break up with my partner?” and they say, “Yeah, do it,” then things go south, you can blame them: “You told me to do it!” By handing the decision to someone else, you avoid the anxiety of being fully responsible.

This happens a lot in therapy, which is why good therapists avoid just giving advice. If a therapist tells a client exactly what to do, they’re taking away the client’s freedom to choose for themselves. That can keep the client stuck in bad faith, pretending they’re not in control of their life. Instead, therapists help people face their choices and own them, even when it’s scary.

Why This Matters Beyond Netflix

Sartre’s ideas about freedom don’t just apply to picking movies or asking for advice—they ripple out into bigger parts of life, like how we interact with society and even governments. When we act in bad faith, we might go along with things we don’t believe in because it’s easier to say, “That’s just how things are.”

For example, if everyone at school is gossiping about someone, you might join in, even if it feels wrong, because you tell yourself, “I have to fit in.” By doing that, you’re denying your freedom to stand up and act differently.

On a larger scale, people sometimes support rules or leaders they don’t agree with because it feels safer to follow the crowd than to take a stand. By saying, “I’m just doing what I’m told,” they avoid the responsibility of challenging something unjust. Sartre would say this is us running from our freedom, and it can lead to a world where no one takes ownership of their choices.

Embracing Your Freedom

Sartre’s view of freedom is intense because it forces us to face the fact that we’re always choosing, whether we like it or not. Even choosing not to act is a choice. That can feel heavy, but it’s also empowering. If you’re free, you have the power to shape your life.

You can decide to study for that test, stand up to a bully, or pick a movie and just enjoy it, no matter what anyone else thinks. Owning your choices means owning your life, and that’s what Sartre wants us to do—stop hiding in bad faith and start living authentically.

So, next time you’re faced with a decision, big or small, pause and ask yourself: Am I making this choice because I want to, or am I trying to avoid responsibility? It’s not easy, but facing your freedom head-on is the first step to living a life that’s truly yours.