It is beyond me to understand why most people insist on confining deception to that dark little label of "defense mechanism". I do understand and agree that most people react with lies to avoid the consequences of telling the truth, but that is like thinking that raising ones voice in a conversation can only be used to illustrate hostility.
Lying is a versatile and powerful means of expression. Selfish avoidance techniques are only one way to use such a potent device. Lying has the power to alter a person's perception of reality, and we see this all the time in forms such as entertainment (illusionists, reality TV) and we see it in art.
I believe deception is a form of art. It is amazing to break frames of perception and to challenge beliefs and routines. It also allows one to quickly solve problems caused by antiquated or simply unsuitable "education" by allowing another comprehend something outside of his/her scope of understanding (e.g. contrasting).
I also believe that most people are completely incapable of supporting anything more than a simple white lie. After all, you are basically the sole caretaker of a small, incongruent fabricated reality inside of ours, and if you can't keep that little slice of heaven from contradicting itself in the face of the "greater truth", you'll just look like an ass.
Few people truly understand how difficult it is to maintain a well crafted, self serving deception. Even fewer can maintain it long enough to see the payoffs, and then find a way to assimilate the lie into reality before they are "caught".
In my mind, lying is a powerful discipline that provokes fear because of its skill and self-control/awareness requisites. Naturally, such a thing would be derided as "wrong" or "evil" by most because it represents an unfair advantage over others as well as a power tool to break spells of conditioning.
Such a force capable inspiring so many questions and challenging so many of our beliefs is surely immoral and with that, I can understand why so many would never consider themselves to be liars. I however, am proud and unashamed.  |