Deception

          Deception can sometimes be justified, but usually should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Deception has been used in literature, to win wars, and even hide information from children. Deception can also be a “white lie”, a lie that may seem petty or unimportant. Although using any of these means to deceive does provide an easy way out, it does not hold the same long-term benefits as honesty does.

Deception is often used in literature, such as in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, and  East of Eden by John Steinbeck. For example, in the book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the main character, uses deception as a way to feel better about himself. Using deception helps him limp along for a very short period of time, but ends up ruining his life even more. In the East of Eden, Cathy, (also known as Kate) uses deception to make her livelihood, which itself relies completely on deception for its survival. In the end, Kathy commits suicide, killed by the intricate trap she had set for herself. In both these cases, just plain honesty would have offered better long solutions to their problems.

          A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. “Though effective, appear to be ineffective” -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Deception has been used in wars frequently throughout the years dating way back to 1469 B.C. when the Egyptians used deception and trickery to pass into Syria through an unguarded route. One more common story is the Greeks wooden horse sent to the Trojans as a gift. Deception has been central for important wars to be won thus shaping countries future. Although deception did help the people who benefited from it, it only planted more distrust and discord across nations. The current global political atmosphere is a testimonial to that.  If they had just been honest things might have been different.

        One case where deception can be tempting is when trying to explain to a child about a parent’s untimely death.  It is indeed a dilemma in such situations what the best course of action would be. Do you compromise truth for the well being of the child or scar the child at a young age to keep up with a moral code?  In the long run what would be better?  Will closure in knowing the truth and grieving be better than a false sense of security?  Such social situations can be subjective with little evidence on what would be the ideal path to take with the preferred outcome.  

        Deception can also take the form of a white lie. For example, say you are helping your friend prepare for a singing audition. They ask you if they are good enough to get the part. Although you may try to be their friend and only flower them with comments, they are asking you for an honest opinion. Deception in this case may offer the initial gratitude from your friend, but bitterness in the long run because you didn’t tell the truth. This might seem to be a small and petty lie, but it is still a form of deception.

        I myself have had my experiments with deception, such as hiding grades, and just trying to be sneaky and get out of having to do work. This at first gave me happiness at having succeeded, but my happiness turned to guilt and remorse, at having been figured out. It also led to trouble sleeping at night and having to carry a burden that was almost impossible to hold. If I had told the truth I would not have had to suffer the hard way.

        In conclusion deception is like junk food. At first it will give you satisfaction, but later on it will only lead to future problems. Deception is in general a bad concept and should be replaced with transparency and honesty instead. Although honesty is not always easy, and most of the time will not offer the same short-term benefits as deception does. But in the long run honesty will be the most beneficial.