Deception

Most of us think we are about 15 per cent cleverer, more attractive and better drivers than others think we are. Drawing on insights from philosophy, psychology and literature, this work explores the implications for living well in the shadow of Kant's humbling thought that "out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made".

Whether it''s calling in sick when we fancy a day off, or telling someone we love them when we don''t, all of us have sought to deceive. Ziyad Marar throws a revealing light on these questions and shows how, by being more honest about our inevitable dishonesty, we might achieve a more fulfilling life.
Drawing on philosophy, psychology and literature, Deception explores the workings of human nature and how our wiring has left us easily suckered by persuasive illusions, while our contradictory desires (for sex and honesty, money and kindness, cake and losing weight) force us to cook up self-serving stories. This need to deny the complexity of the world and the conflicts of our beliefs and desires is necessary, says Marar, simply to get by.
While recognising that it is impossible to live without deception, Marar believes that there are benefits from resisting its lure as much as we can bear. To understand our proneness to self-serving distortions is to help avoid some of their harmful consequences. By honestly recognising that true honesty is a hopeless quest, we can rid ourselves of some of the anxieties that modern society presents us and, in turn, discover how to live well.