(Don’t) tell me more about myself: Willful ignorance of self-related feedback

Individuals are highly motivated to maintain a positive self-concept, which can create a dilemma when they are presented with opportunities to receive self-related feedback, such as learning how others perceive them. Although such feedback may offer valuable self-insight, it also risks threatening one’s self-concept. As a result, people may engage in willful ignorance by deliberately avoiding this information. In this review, we explore willful ignorance in the context of self-related feedback, arguing that while such avoidance can protect individuals from discomfort, it can also impede self-knowledge. We identify key motivational, personal, and situational factors that influence the tendency to avoid self-related feedback. Finally, we outline directions for future research and offer examples for experimental designs.