Cordelia Fine, in "A Mind of Its Own," makes a similar point:
Fine says, "that your unconscious is smarter than you, faster than you, and more powerful than you. It may even control you. You will never know all of its secrets." So what to do? Begin with self-awareness, Fine says, then manage the distortions as best one can. We owe it to ourselves "to lessen the harmful effects of the brain’s various shams," she adds, while admitting that applying this lesson to others is easier than to oneself. Ironically, one category of persons shows that it is possible to view life through a clearer lens. "Their self-perceptions are more balanced, they assign responsibility for success and failure more even-handedly, and their predictions for the future are more realistic. These people are living testimony to the dangers of self-knowledge," Fine asserts. "They are the clinically depressed."
Is this merely a correlation, or are you (or Fine) attempting to posit causation here? That is to say, is this merely pointing out that viewing "life through a clearer lens" is seen in connection with higher frequency of clinical depression, or is the inference here that this clearer lens causes clinical depression?
I find it a hard case to make the latter statement, and the former statement doesn't imply (to me) that one ought to eschew the clearer lens. I wonder if there is some analysis that digs into what mental processes, emotions, thoughts, etc. occur in the wake of viewing the world through the clearer lens that might lead to clinical depression?
I feel like there could be some not-so-weak element of not having as balanced a view/method of how to respond to one's failures that would lead toward depressive thought patterns. I don't think self-esteem issues are caused by viewing oneself more objectively and rationally, but instead by placing unwarranted weight on the (potentially errant) conclusions one draws from a more objective view of oneself. That is, if one has a more balanced and nuanced objective view of the world, but has an equally unbalanced and un-nuanced view of oneself--say, that one's abilities or potential for improvement are strictly circumscribed and not easily changed--I would hedge my bets toward that person having a greater likelihood for depression than someone who does not draw such conclusions.
I think I tend toward viewing myself and others fairly objectively, and actively work to do so. I also compare myself to others I subjectively and objectively find better in some ways. But then I respond by improving the parts of me that I have found to be weaker than those who are a level above my own. I don't experience depressive thoughts (that I am aware of). (shit, that's just anecdotal and can be dismissed. nevermind.)
[edit: typo and calling out my own anecdotal evidence that is unhelpful]
The theory that depressed people have more realistic perceptions of the world is interesting, and apparently popular enough now for authors to wax poetic about it, but the only actual evidence I've heard of can be just as easily explained by the experimental design as by the theory.
Fine says, "that your unconscious is smarter than you, faster than you, and more powerful than you. It may even control you. You will never know all of its secrets." So what to do? Begin with self-awareness, Fine says, then manage the distortions as best one can. We owe it to ourselves "to lessen the harmful effects of the brain’s various shams," she adds, while admitting that applying this lesson to others is easier than to oneself. Ironically, one category of persons shows that it is possible to view life through a clearer lens. "Their self-perceptions are more balanced, they assign responsibility for success and failure more even-handedly, and their predictions for the future are more realistic. These people are living testimony to the dangers of self-knowledge," Fine asserts. "They are the clinically depressed."