Lying to Yourself Is an Underrated Productivity Tool

Photo: Caravan Images/Getty Images

My dog does this thing sometimes where she eases her way into trouble. Whenever a pillow or table leg catches her eye as particularly chewable, she’ll mash her face against it and rub her nose back and forth, maintaining eye contact the whole time, as if to say: Just sniffing, can’t be mad. Often, she spends so long on this weird little preamble that by the time I notice she’s progressed to actually…