The Virtues of Ethical Behavior
The virtues of ethical behavior, truthfulness, honesty, abiding by the rule of law as well as living per the informal rules of the community are of the highest value in any culture. In most societies acts of deception, dishonesty and those that goes contrary to the agreed standards are perceived negatively and in most cases lead to punishment. However, societies differ regarding how they view and understand honesty and truthfulness. The culture of a community influences the attributes of lying and deception, and due to the tolerance of America to this pervasive attitude, deception has become a norm in the life of the American citizens.
Deception as a Tool in American Society
Deception is used in American society as a tool for people to get unjust rewards for their selfish interests. In the case of Bernie Madoff, a financier he used lies to deceive investors and end up stealing billions of dollars from them. In politics, individuals use deception to hide the truth so that they can protect their reputation and be able to ascend to power or maintain their positions. A person can be afraid of what may happen if he or she stands with the truth because of the consequences of the wrong he or she might have committed and therefore have to lie to cover up. Richard Nixon, for example, denied any involvement in the Watergate scandal as a way of protecting his political image (Hutson). Because of these capitalistic motives, individuals do not want to own up to their mistakes and instead resort to deception to solve such issues.
The Role of Politicians in Deception
The politicians have developed a culture of lying to inflate their images and protect themselves from negative judgment and embarrassment. Most people avoid telling the truth because they feel such truth might have a negative consequence on the false image they have built over time. This attitude of deception was seen in the statements of the President of America Donald Trump who claimed that the crowd at his inauguration in 2017 was more than what President Barrack Obama had in 2009 (McGuire). This assertion was not true however Trump lied to his supporters with the aim of making them feel he is more famous and likable by people a situation that would have given him political mileage.
Using Lies to Hide Bad Behaviors
In some cases, individuals use lies to hide bad behaviors. To avoid accountability for their erroneous opinions or mistakes some individuals may decide to lie. These individuals may include celebrities who will always find excuses to cover up actions that they know might taint their public image. Ryan Lochte, an American swimmer, for example, claimed that he was attacked and robbed at a gunpoint while at a gas station. However, these claims were all lies because he had caused a distraction to properties when drunk forcing the armed guards to confront him. In all these cases the objective of the individuals engaging in deception is to avoid the consequences that may arise as a result of being honest (Mueller).
Lying as a Strategy for Manipulation and Protection
People have come to adopt lies as a strategy of protection and manipulating others without having to use physical force. Naturally, creatures compete for resources and mates, and this has led to the evolution of techniques of deceiving such as camouflage in the animal kingdom. According to Mueller, "Lying is so easy compared to other ways of gaining power, and therefore deception provides an advantage in places where people may be required to compete to get something"( Mueller). People find it easier to lie and get what they want and with time it becomes a habit and part of their everyday life.
Lies for Self-Esteem and Approval
People struggle to earn approval and acceptance from others, and this makes them opt for dishonesty to achieve it. Human beings tend to establish an artificial personality to conceal their true identity; maintenance of this artificial identity may force people to tell lies whenever they feel being honest could compromise how other people will see them. This individuals value their self-esteem, and for this reason, they will do anything possible to look good to themselves and others. It is for this reason that human beings and Americans, in particular, tell lies to protect their self-esteem (Aune and Waters, 170)
Building a Culture of Deception
Many people try to shape how others see them by influencing them otherwise. A problem arises when one is unable to distinguish between his or her real personality and the image he or she is trying to portray to the public and in the process leading to a situation where the fabricated identity is acknowledged instead of the real mage. Due to this scenario, people develop a culture where they lie reflexively to conserve the self-deception they have created. In a society where lying has become a reflex, individuals build consistency between how they would like to be seen and how they look at themselves (Bhattacharjee, 38).
Deception for Maintaining Harmony and Friendliness
In most cases, tough situations may call for deception to save other people from being hurt. Human beings find it necessary in some instances to lie to maintain harmony. This protective lie occurs when a person discovers that by being honest the truth could cause more harm than good to the emotional feelings of another which in turn can disrupt peace or result in emotional drama. Similarly, the tendency of leaving out important truth could be influenced by a situation where a person has an objective of manipulating others concerning the impression he or she wants them to have. In some cases, individuals may use deception as a way of being friendly. People use little white lies to make others feel good and create an environment where everyone gets along with one another. For example, people will answer politely "I'm fine, thanks," even when they do not mean it (Mueller).
Pathological Liars and the Culture of Deceit
In addition to telling lies for protection, some people are pathological liars who have developed a habit of being dishonest. These habitual liars create their realities in which they pretend to be victims or heroes depending on the kind of the situation they are addressing. These people who are habitually dishonest always attempt to portray themselves favorably in every circumstance, and for them to continue maintaining the deceit, they invent a lot of lies. The difference between the people who alter truth a bit or omit some reality for protection and pathological liars is that the former is based on fantasies.
Deception in Education and Society
The culture of deceit has emerged in the education sector and has become a norm in the institutions. The children have grown to witness their role models in the top government positions, their teachers and even their parents engaging in acts of deception and this makes them feel this culture is part of the American lifestyle. These young people are fed with lies and half truth from all corners of their life, and as they grow they embrace this code of honor because to them it is the societal norm and the way of life that is entirely accepted. This virtue has made students in the institutions of higher learning to earn degrees based on cheating, and when they engage in these acts of deceit, they do not feel guilty because they believe that they are practicing what they will apply in future as politicians or in any leadership positions because it is an American culture (Kwiatkowska, 49). In the American society, the culture of deceit appears to be advantageous because those whose subscribe to it are regularly rewarded by ascending to top political positions, hold on to offices despite the scandals they are involved in or get the rich courtesy of their dishonesty.
Conclusion
The culture of a community influences the character of deceit, and since the American community tolerates dishonesty, it has grown to a level that has made it a societal norm. People deceive others as a form of protection, pride or for gain while for and others use it to manipulate other people for selfish benefit. Deception has become a trend in the entire American society, and people now see it as a requirement for survival in this world. Children are exposed to lies and half-truth at home, at school, and in the media and as they grow they perceive it as an accepted virtue, and this has resulted in the emergence of a generation of individuals who know that there is no offense in lying because to them deception is part of life.
Work Cited
Aune R K, and Waters, L. Cultural differences in deception: Motivations to deceive in Samoans and North Americans. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. University of Hawaii Volume 18, Issue 2, Spring 1994, Pages 159-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(94)90026-4
Bhattacharjee Y. In the Mind's Eye: Enhancing Human Performance. National Academic Press. p23-70. 2018.
Hutson M. BEHAVIOR & SOCIETY: Living a Lie. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/living-a-lie-we-deceive-ourselves-to-better-deceive-others/. 2010
Kwiatkowska, A. How Do Others Deceive? Cultural Aspects of Lying and Cheating. Polish Academy of Sciences 46-72. (2015).
McGuire P. The Culture of Deceit. HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-mcguire/the-culture-of-deceit_b_1907895.html. 2012.
Mueller, S. Conscious Living. Why Do People Lie? Planet of Success. http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2014/why-do-people-lie/. 2014
