The art of deception

When I was younger and didn't want any more dinner, my mum would slide her fork down the middle of the plate and tell me to eat one half and then I could go. She'd continue to do that until there was a mouthful of food on the plate and it would be pointless to waste. I'm sure all parents have done something of the sort to their kid, heck! I did it to my younger siblings until they were old enough to realise that there were no consequences. Although an extremely mild example, this world is plagued with deception and as a result, it's a fairly difficult accomplishment to become even somewhat of a down to earth, no 'bullshit' type of person.

We're always told to get to the root of the issue if change is to be achieved and in the case of deception, it is almost necessary to start at the seemingly trivial issue of the events during childhood. Posts on the internet that insinuate that we have a right to lie to our parents as they did to us very often when growing up in situations such as Santa, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy display the obvious yet beneficial lies we grow up with (but who doesn't like presents, chocolate and money?) yet the problem is so much deeper and concealed than that. 

My 10 year old sister often takes cigarettes out of my mums packets and waves them around and puts them in her mouth. She is only 2 years shy of when I first started myself. I remember mum telling me as an attempt to scare us kids out of smoking that the reason she was so crazy was because she stole a cigarette off her mum when she was a teenager and her mum had poisoned it. Obviously, this was not enough to scare me but it is proof of how many lies are in our lives.

We are genuinely surrounded my deceiving advertisements on TV and on billboards. 

- 'Get the perfect skin ten days for $39.95*'

*perfect skin will not occur as this is impossible, no refunds, no exchanges. $97 postage and handling. Terms and Conditions apply.

- 'Try the Celery Diet and keep the weight off*'

*Weight will come back on if you have anything other than celery ever again. Terms and Conditions apply.

- 'Avoid running out of credit and switch to a plan, it's cheaper*'

* Only cheaper if you use your phone 200% less than originally when on pre paid. If you go over your plan you will owe the company more money that you've ever seen on a bank statement of yours and you will have alot of issues with us, the carrier. Terms and Conditions apply.

Our desires and fears are used in order to trick us into doing or not doing things. We are surrounded by deception and lies and this in turn rubs off onto us at a very young age.

'Sarah, did you steal my credit card and buy $600 dollars worth of phone credit' (true story)

'No dad' (yes Dad)

'Sarah, did you go into my bedroom and take my mascara'

'No Suzie' (yes Suzie)

'Sarah, did you do your homework'

'Yes miss, but I left it at home' (No miss, but I'm sure you're going to believe that excuse because you've never heard it before)

I am a compulsive liar, that is a definite but I don't put this down to nature, this one belongs in the nurture part of 'the book of reasoning to Sarah's behaviour' - 

The movie 'The Invention of Lying' resulted in me leaving the cinemas with the question 'Where did lying actually stem from' and it made me come to a conclusion of that in this day and age, it is just a 'normal' behaviour and like talking, walking, reading and writing which are also normal behaviours, it is acquired from the observation and education of and from others. 

Deception will not be eradicated because that's impossible. How will the retail sector and beauty product business' survive.