What Lie Do You Tell Yourself Most Often About Your Betting?

[CoachTony_Bets]

The worst lie: "I'll cut back after this season."

I say it every year.

Never cut back.

 

[oli_sussex]

"I'll reconnect with old friends after this busy period."

No busy period. Just avoidance.

Friends stopped reaching out. My fault. My lie to self was "timing."

 

[DublinDegen]

"this is rock bottom things will get better now"

said this five times over seven years

always gets worse

rock bottom has a basement

keeps going down

still telling myself this is the bottom

probably not...

 

[ThePuntingProf]

Conor your recognition that rock bottom has a basement is quite astute and quite tragic, I fear you are correct, my own lie: "I will stop when I reach a certain profit threshold."

I have reached several thresholds, I do not stop, I create new thresholds, the goal posts move, the activity continues, the threshold was always a lie, there is no profit level that would make me stop because profit is not why I continue.

 

[TaffyTipster]

Prof same.

"I'll stop when I'm up £10k."

Hit £10k.

New target: £20k.

Never stops.

 

[SharpEddie47]

"I'll stop when I've proven I can beat it long-term."

I've proven it. 20 years of data.

Still betting.

The proof was never the point.

 

[FadeThePublic]

"I'm doing this to make money."

I make decent money from my job.

I'm doing this because I'm addicted to being right.

The money is just scorekeeping.

 

[ParlayPrincess_88]

This thread is making me confront lies I didn't even know I was telling!

Like "I can handle the losses."

Can I? I cried when I calculated I was down $1,847.

That's not handling it.

 

[CoachTony_Bets]

The universal lie we all tell: "I'm different from problem gamblers."

We're all on the spectrum.

Some further along than others.

But we all tell ourselves we're not "that bad."

 

[Klaus]

Correct Tony.

"I am not addicted, I am skilled."

Skill and addiction not mutually exclusive.

I am both. Refuse to admit addiction part.

 

[oli_sussex]

"I'm a professional bettor not a gambler."

Semantic distinction. Both describe same behavior.

One sounds respectable. Other sounds problematic.

I choose respectable label to avoid problem label.

 

[TaffyTipster]

"I'm not an alcoholic I just like a pint while watching sport."

Drink before during and after every match.

Bet worse when drinking.

Keep drinking because it makes betting "fun."

It's not fun. It's a problem.

 

[DublinDegen]

"im not as bad as i could be"

always the lie

could always be worse

but im still bad

comparing to worse versions of myself to feel better about current version

still losing still addicted still destroying life

but tell myself "could be worse"

can always be worse

doesnt mean this is okay...

 

[SharpEddie47]

Conor "it could be worse" is the lie that prevents change.

I tell myself that too.

"At least I'm profitable unlike other bettors."

Still missing family events. Still prioritizing wrong things.

But profit lets me tell myself it's okay.

 

[ThePuntingProf]

The meta-lie I tell myself: "I am honest about my betting."

I am not, I maintain a public image of disciplined analytical betting while privately the emotional component is enormous, I tell people about my methodology but not about the nights I bet simply because I am lonely, I share my ROI but not the cost in relationships, I am dishonest through selective disclosure, this entire thread reveals lies I tell myself that I did not realize were lies until articulating them.

 

[TaffyTipster]

Prof that's it exactly.

"I'm honest about my betting."

We're all lying by omission.

To others and to ourselves.

 

[CoachTony_Bets]

This might be the most important thread we've ever had.

Forcing us to confront the lies we tell ourselves.

 

[FadeThePublic]

Question: Does acknowledging the lies change anything?

Or do we just feel bad and keep lying tomorrow?

 

[SharpEddie47]

That's the real test.

We've all admitted our self-deceptions.

Does that lead to change or just temporary discomfort?

 

[Klaus]

Historical pattern suggests: temporary discomfort.

Awareness necessary but insufficient for behavioral change.

Will likely continue same patterns with brief guilt period.