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Lying to oneself is the most widespread type of lying, and the most complex to understand. It can take many different forms. In this text, I will first look at Oedipus Rex. I will then briefly discuss the human need for truth, which lies at the heart of psychoanalysis, and its approach to lying to oneself, particularly in relation to defense mechanisms. I will also review other mechanisms of self-deception, before going on to develop this notion, which has given rise to a profusion of publications in analytic philosophy, in opposition to psychoanalytic theory. Self-deception is a form of illusion inherent in the multiplicity of our personality and our need for belief. Any attempt to understand self-deception and our practical irrationality requires the contribution of several complementary approaches. Contrary to the assertions of some emotional philosophers, psychoanalysis and clinical thinking play a major, inescapable role in this heuristic approach.