Stealth and Deception

Abstract

During those mornings that I have appointments off of campus, I often listen to National Public Radio or BBC America on the way to these meetings. The style of reporting aligns seems to resonate with how I like to hear the news. Typically, politics and world events dominate the news stories and the interviews that are played during the morning hours. Straightforward and probing, the reporters asking the questions seem to understand that the initial responses of those that they are interviewing are not always truthful. Maybe I have a cynical view on politics, but I am doubtful that any politician, independent of country or political party, is adept at telling the truth. Within American politics, lying appears to be an art raised to its highest form. In an excellent book on his life’s work called “Telling Lies,” Dr. Paul Ekman outlines several types of lies that range from small to large and from whether the liar actually believes that they are telling the truth versus the recognition that everything is a fabrication. Another point that becomes clear in Ekman’s writing is that we all engage in lies at some point in our lives. Even the smallest fibs or those told with good intentions are considered lies at some level. For example, if one feels a cold or flu coming on, but doesn’t want to alarm their spouse, they could respond with a hearty “I am fine” when queried about their health. We would consider this harmless or maybe even beneficial because the liar wouldn’t want to add to the stress of the listener.