"Deception, otherwise defined by the act of deceit, is immoral but rational."
Following the theme of human morality, as well as the previous article on whether immoral things are rational, the conclusion arrived at was that wrong things are indeed rational. This golden rule is no exception to deception. Through the course of this publication, I will examine the art of deception and analyze its relevant causation.
While we possess the ability to work hard for our own rewards, and reap what we sow, the most cardinal factor that appeals to us and causes us to deceive is what we potentially stand to gain. From cheating in a examination, fooling the authority when seeking reprieve with state fines, to the piracy of products and plagiarism of content, the preponderance of deception has molded us into the cast we are in, trusting and depending on no one, arousing suspicion towards the most innocuous deeds, and festering antagonism among fellow men. This phenomenon has changed our society, both for the better and for the worse. Benefit- we have gotten less gullible. Pitfall- the amplification of differences (a product of lack of trust and thus harming of our social fabric) which are not embraced but despised, the magnification of distrust, all of which are problems which require the country's government's allocated resources to remedy, or at least alleviate. Why would we still choose deception given the careful analysis of the consequences, and at our own consciousness, morality, and high levels of civics education, as a disservice to the society?
To escape punishment or recompense from crime, and to evade the elusive arms of the law, we resort to any of the possible means available on our platters, despite the fact that we may still get discovered, and receive a more greater punishment than initially required. Humans have always been seeking the most convenient and irresponsible way out of such situations. This is assuming humans are born evil naturally, and this is undeniable. The wages of being caught lying, though severe, has its glowing rewards of the possibility of not being uncovered at all . When we fulminate against the truth, we are in the hopes that fellow righteous administrators of justice are negligent and would not analyze the statements sufficiently, hence we would attempt to satiate the inner angels of our interrogators with our inner demons. The prospects of reward outweigh the risks of lying; to be free permanently from any further repercussions, compared to a little extra time in prison, who could resist such an alluring and enticing offer?
''It is within our primary instincts to lie''. To evaluate the accuracy of this statement, we must first set the proper demarcations. Would the act of lying collide with human survival instincts? The answer is evidently a negative. Human morality has always had a perennial conflict with human survival instincts. As the previous paragraph mentions, the reward outweigh the risks, and is a prominent choice throughout the history of mankind. For example, sickly babies in the ancient ages have always been forsaken by their parents, and while innate human survival instincts approve of their actions in order to reduce the divide of resources during allocation, the baby has always been seen to possess intrinsic value as a 'life', and severely defies moral standards today. But one thing has never changed through the ages; humans have primal senses that cause them to elect the route that seems most logical. If lying provides a free 'get-away' from suffering the penalty of their crimes similar to that of how abandoning a baby strips me of all required responsibility, I would certainly deem it as the perfectly rational choice.
As we deliberate on acts of deception, one topic we never fail to approach is the fact that guilt lies within our souls as we reflect on our past actions. Guilt, although it haunts us, will only be temporary. This is exactly the reason why we do not lie repetitively, and would succumb to stress and admit the truth after constant interrogation under normal circumstances. Reminiscent of our irresponsibility, it curses us with shame and fear, as we live in tenterhooks, with our eyes and ears behind our backs, anxiously waiting to defend ourselves from incoming provocations should they arise. Unknown to most, the price of deception is depression, dejection and despondency. Effectively, deception leads to the theft of our dignity, and we will never be able to hold our head up high with the knowledge that our achievements and attainments are all obtained illegally or via inappropriate and deceptive means. Instead of feeling honor, we feel shame. Instead of receiving glory, we get regret. In fact, the glory of failure possibility surpasses the regret of success. which is ironic considering the extent we go to succeed.
The impression that one needs to ace every test, trial and tribulation results in us being chained and blinded that we should try every method. orthodox or not, to be able to be lauded a success case. This notion is propagated by schools, individuals in the society, as well as global organizations and corporations, hence is not at all startling. This very belief is the problem of our society. The values we inculcate in our the sons and daughters of our time, that is pivotal for the foundation of our society, have not been upheld by the current population. Accompanied with this portrayal of success and economical wealth being overvalued by us leads to the deterioration of moral wealth, the diminishing of our hopes for the future, and the degeneration of our social health and state of well-being, our only signals doom for future generations. With deception proliferating and ingrained in our people, there will definitely be abrasion between fellow men. With social friction comes the loss of ties, and with the loss of ties results in a loss of trust and a highly-divided society, and with a highly-divided society fuels issues of contention and a bottomless pit of incessant, unfathomable problems that would never reach a resolution!
To protect our people, our relations, and our earth, we need to rectify this hazardous and insidious threat to humanity. We can start by being honest, open, yet pure about our intentions, speech, and responses in our diurnal activities, and be a beacon of light and good-will to the future generation, the cornerstone of our society.
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