3 Factors That Facilitate Deception

As I mentioned in my previous writings, being deceived does not necessarily mean feeling burned. Deception is more like a sweet dream, caressing the soul like gentle sea waves. Feeling as burned, on the other hand, is about awakening from the deception; it is a kind of return to reality which is way more painful. This article is about falling into a dream, not awakening.

In this writing I would like to examine the factors that create the conditions for deception, which involves both parties.

"Fire at the beach" by Askhat Bardynov

1. Greed

When discussing lies and deception, attention is usually focused on only one side of the situation, the deceiver. However, I tend to see the reasons for the occurrence of this event on both sides. There are also significant influencers that cannot be ignored, such as the deceived party's own desires or greed. For example, one person (the deceiver) might hunt others for their personal gain, while the other person (the deceived) might overlook the deception because they are enticed by the deceiver's wealth. Thus, deception takes place.

Greed is not always related to material factors. For example, if someone tries to exploit others by presenting themselves as a victim, they may target an auditory known for their greediness to help. Why do I choose to describe this as greed? Sometimes, a person's greed is defined by their perception that helping or saving someone gives their life meaning, or life mission. I discussed this in more detail in a previous article (See: "Playing with Fire: What does it make you face?").

2. Power imbalance

Among the factors to consider, an important one is the balance of power. Power can manifest in various forms, such as:

• Imbalance of experience.

  • A simple example would be the relationship between an adult and a child. It is much easier for an adult to deceive a child than to deceive another adult.

  • In another example, someone who is an expert in a particular field is more likely to deceive someone who is uninformed in that field.

• Imbalance of intelligence.

  • The adult-child example applies here as well. However, another example would be a situation where someone who disregards emotions and relies solely on logic is more likely to be deceived by someone with higher emotional intelligence.

• Imbalance of social status.

  • A person who is widely accepted by society has a greater power to deceive a simpler member of that society. It is more challenging to resist them because doing so requires confronting not just that individual but also the many people who believe in them.

• Imbalance of economic power.

  • If one party is economically dependent on the other, the likelihood of being deceived by the more powerful party's lies is higher.

• Numerical imbalance.

  • The deceiving party has the upper hand when they outnumber the deceived party. The Ash conformity experiment is a clear example of this.

"Underwater" by Ai Lie You

3. Limited Time

Time works in favor of the truth, which is not advantageous for the deceiver. Maintaining a lie requires significant effort and energy from the deceiver. When deceiving, the liar primarily relies on creating an impression and then uses the deceiver's power of imagination to deceive further. Since deception involves two parties, the deceived often falls into the trap of their own greed, believing the false impressions crafted by the deceiver, leading to the success of the deception. However, this situation is ultimately vulnerable to the passage of time. Therefore, the most effective strategy for the deceiver is to rush the process, ensuring that their victim acts on their deceitful impressions without delay.