Most Men Would Rather Deny A

Eddard Stark reflects on this truth in A Game of Thrones (1996) by George R.R. Martin, though the sentiment echoes across the entire series. Martin's fiction is notable for dramatizing how self-deception — the unwillingness to confront uncomfortable realities — leads to catastrophic political and personal failure. Ned's own inability to accept the full brutality of court politics leads directly to his downfall.