Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave

Kekich Credo #61 - Never be deceptive when trying to achieve a personal gain. Shortchanging others results in loss of self-esteem.

Deception is the act of causing someone to accept something false or invalid as true or valid.  Deception is defined as an untrue falsehood or the act of lying to trick someone. 

Is there a difference between a lie and a deception?  Lying is usually verbal.  People lie for many reasons such as to conceal things from others, to protect themselves from punishments, to mislead others or even to save others from knowing a bitter reality.  Deception is causing someone to believe something false.  

A deceitful person is someone who is untrustworthy, two-faced or fraudulent. Deceitful words are misleading.  Being called deceitful is not a compliment.  Deceitful people tend to lie or deceive others.

Shortchanging others results in loss of self-esteem.  If you are short-changed, you are being treated unfairly or dishonestly. Often you are given less than you deserve.

This credo statement made me think of a famous quote from a poem by Sir Walter Scott.  ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’  Sir Walter Scott was an early nineteenth century Scottish author of novels, plays, and poems.

The quote is from Scott’s poem, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field. Lord Marmion, one of Henry VIII’s courtiers, devises a scheme to implicate Clara Clare’s fiance in treason.  Marmion defeats Clara’s fiance in a duel, but Clara retires to a convent rather than endure his attentions.  The tangled web quote is so true. There are perils and consequences to lying. 

There are mental effects of lying.  When people lie to avoid dealing with emotions or problems, the same problems continue to occur and get worse.  This leads to depression and anxiety.  Lies hurt relationships by damaging trust.  When you are lied to, it makes you feel insecure.  Your version of the truth is discredited.  You feel unimportant because the person lying to you didn’t value you enough to tell the truth. 

A habitual liar can struggle to live up to their own claims.  They may experience extreme stress trying to keep track of their falsehoods. If their lies are exposed, their relationship will be strained and in some cases, they may face legal consequences.

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