Noticed something profound? about deception.

[Roy]

So I was thinking about self-deception lately, as well as manipulation, deception, lying, using "masks" and so forth. Just trying to get more understanding of why people do the things they do, and the mechanisms of how they interact with the world. Then it dawned on me.......

Literally the thing that society (contemporary Western society mostly) values and worships the most on the cultural level is a deception in it's purest form;

ACTING

Think about it. Where is most of the money, time, energy and focus spent upon in media and entertainment? Movies, celebrities, & Hollywood. Of course it's shifted somewhat with the internet but it's hard to argue that Hollywood isn't the center of the cultural pyramid. A massive industry and cultural center which absorbs endless attention and praise. Actors and actresses get chased around and harassed their entire lives, every little detail sold and shared ruthlessly. They even get looked to for leadership on almost every issue LOL! They are sometimes even treated as living deities.

All because of their ability to deceive others.

Of course you may be thinking, "Well yeah it's just acting though, it's so benign. It's not real."

Perhaps, but I feel as though it's much deeper than that. It can't be just a coincidence that something seemingly so harmless and practically useless in the real world sense ended up becoming such a behemoth that domineers so much attention and respect within the collective psyche of so many peoples lives. Does it not speak to the subconscious of humanity that our most worshiped in society are those that practice pure deception as an art?

Is there something deeper here or am I just a rambling crazy person with a shovel?

[Giancarlo]

As an actor, I don't think that acting is deceptive in the way that, say, misleading, unconscious marketing is deceptive. They are two totally different worlds. 

The difference is that the unconscious marketer wants to mask his deception for personal gain. He's trying to one-up the audience, which is not the case with art.

Don't confuse the art with the industry.

If you try acting, you'll realize the only way to act is to be totally truthful. That's the beauty of it. 

[Preety_India]

 

 

You have a good point Roy. But you can extend this to politicians and even some spiritual gurus. It's their ego. They could be wearing a mask trying to look like this spiritual master until some scandal about them breaks out. 

The same can be said of Doomsday cults who have so much power on the collective psyche that so many people buy into them and get attracted to their charisma. 

This can lead to a conclusion that the general collective subconscious is very gullible and therefore deception works so well... 

 

[Jacobsrw]

@RoyThese are very good points.

Although I would add that acting goes beyond merely just the entertainment industry but the acting in everything we do. We play a different role in almost every facet of life. In fact, the entirety of human life is one big act.

Human life is exhibited through the delusion of infinite roles. Thats the point of spirituality, to dissolve the attachment to acting. The ego is imparted by acting. It’s central existence can only come through the acting of roles. No ego, means no acting. Acting is useful when you are involved in a play, but once the play is finished so too must the actor playing it.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Jacobsrw