Is pretense a disadvantage or a virtue?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Parents from an early age tell us: pretending and being hypocritical is not good, you need to be sincere with others. Growing up, we teach these truths to our children, without any doubt that they are right. But do we always manage to remain sincere ourselves? What does pretense mean? Can it be useful? Let's look at this phenomenon impartially.

Meaning of the word pretense

You can pick up many synonyms for it: lies, bluff, hypocrisy, crookedness, insincerity, cunning, deceit, cunning, artificiality. Ushakov's dictionary gives the following definition: pretense is a person's behavior aimed at hiding the truth, misleading.

The pretender takes on someone else's role, plays an image that does not correspond to reality. Thus, a person manages to hide true thoughts, feelings, attitudes. Surrounding people see not his real face, but a mask. And they believe her. Thus, it is possible to circle them around the finger, to make them trust. This is often used by scammers. But is it only for the sake of self-interest that we put on someone else's mask?

Protectivereaction

Not only people, but also animals can deceive. Here is a mouse pretending to be dead, being in the paws of a cat. Here the bird leads the predator away from the nest, deliberately dragging its wing. For animals, pretending is a way to hunt or protect. It helps them survive. And for what purpose do people most often pretend?

The most common reasons are:

• Maintaining the image. If you are neatly dressed, polite and attentive, it is easier to win the heart of a girl. If you are impudent and unleashed, you will be respected in a cool company.
• Courtesy, fear of hurting others. Because of her, we will not criticize a new acquaintance for a ridiculous suit and bad breath. And we won’t tell our sister that we think her husband is stupid.
• Fear of being judged, punished. He makes us pretend that everything suits us at the workplace, although colleagues wash the bones of the boss behind our eyes.
• Protection from psychological trauma. We sometimes pretend that we are not hurt, although the soul is torn. Visible indifference allows you to stay afloat, save face when your whole life collapses.

As you can see, for a person, pretense also serves as protection, helps to adapt to life in society.

Deceive yourself

For actors, acting is a profession. They play the roles of Hamlet and Superman, Othello and Santa Claus, each time finding a piece of a new image inside themselves. But after all, even an ordinary person has to change his role: then hea loving son, sometimes a best friend, sometimes an excellent specialist, sometimes a caring husband, sometimes a wonderful father, sometimes a cheerful drinking companion. These roles are imposed on us by society. Is this not a pretense? Do we know ourselves outside of these roles?

What if we try on other looks? If you were weak, wear the mask of the strong. Does it feel like no one cares about you? Pretend that those around you love and appreciate you. That every stranger must like you. Psychologists assure: new roles only at first seem like a pretense. Human potential is limitless. So why don't we choose masks and masks for ourselves? What if your true self is hiding behind them?

Pretense is a property of a person to change, adapt, be different depending on the situation. It can be used for selfish purposes, or it can be beneficial. It is necessary to pretend if a person lives within the framework of society. To claim otherwise is to lie to yourself.