The saying “my mind is made up, don’t confuse me with facts” is often retold humorously. In truth, it’s the unfortunate reality of human beings who often prefer to live with cognitive dissonance rather than face the music.

In the recent parashiyot we have read how Joseph’s brothers came down to Egypt and, having not seen him for 20 years, fail to recognise him. The Talmud explains that this was because Joseph was separated from his brothers at the tender age of 17 when he was not bearded, but now was bearded (Yevamot 88).

This is surprising. Would you not recognise a long-lost brother because of some facial hair? Indeed, Joseph was the child who resembled Jacob the most (Bereshit Rabba 84:8). Was it not peculiar how Joseph seemed to know so much about the brothers, even being able to seat them in order of their age? (Bereshit 43:33). The Midrash even tells us that Joseph revealed to his brothers the material of the cots they had slept in when they were children (Bereshit Rabba 91:10).

Rabbi Haim Shmuelevitz, former Rosh Yeshiva of Mir (1902-1979), explains that the brothers did not recognise Joseph because they did not want to recognise him. To accept that Joseph had indeed become viceroy would be to accept that they had been mistaken in their judgment of Joseph’s character and his dreams.

It was simply too hard for the brothers to accept that they had mistreated their little brother and sold their own flesh and blood down the river. It was too hard for the brothers to accept that their young brother, the “dreamer”, whom they had mocked for so many years, was actually their overlord.

And so, despite all the clues they had to recognise that this was their young brother, Joseph’s brothers simply could not accept this possibility and were startled when Joseph revealed himself to them.

Wilful blindless is a common human characteristic. We find it difficult to recognise that we have got it wrong and think we can retain our image by not accepting the truth, even as it stares us in the eyes. This is incorrect; the ability to admit we are wrong and change direction is one of the true hallmarks of human greatness.