Truth and Deception Wrapped

    As the semester comes to an end, I wanted to take the time and reflect back on the course and my major takeaways. I wanted to start off by saying that I was incredibly blessed to have a chance to snatch a spot in this class during registration. There was never a dull moment, and I looked forward to coming to class every week because I knew there was always going to be an exciting topic. All in all, throughout this course, I gained a deeper understanding of honesty, deception, and the complex psychological, social, and ethical forces that shape them. The class revealed that deception is far more common and comes in more “flavors” than we can imagine. It can range from small everyday “white lies” to large-scale frauds that impact our society and history.

    One of the main things I learned is that truth and deception are not clear cut opposites, but are part of a larger spectrum. People lie for many reasons including entertainment, personal gain, a survival coping mechanism, or even out of the compassion of preserving someone’s feelings. Understanding these motivations allowed me to see deception as a human behavior influenced by context rather than just moral failure. That isn’t to say that sometimes it is out of moral failure. Either way, deception in any way should not be advocated for and this course reinforced the importance of truthfulness as a foundation for trust and stability.

    In our study of tricksters, swindlers, and frauds, I came to realize that the world is a scary place if you are not 100% aware 100% of the time. The examples that we covered in class showed how deception exploits human confirmation bias, and the convenience of believing in easy solutions. This shows how easy people can be manipulated when they are distracted, emotionally vulnerable, or overly trusting of appearances.

    Studying other examples from history including the salam witch trials, the white slave trade, and Waco, enriched my historical understanding. I felt like a little 4th grader some days because we would learn about them in class, and I would go tell my family about them at home. The stories baffled me and made me realize, more so than ever, that history repeats itself. Maybe not in the context of killing witches, but with the use of social media, news escalates and becomes worse than it actually is or better than it actually is. Being able to post whatever we want and read whatever we want poses a threat to the truthfulness of our society. 

    Overall, this course taught me more about the importance of awareness and knowledge  as well as the dangers of the internet and news that surrounds us. If there is one thing that I can leave with and say to anyone is that as humans, integrity is not just about telling the truth, it is also about living in a way that aligns with your values. It is important to resist the temptation to manipulate others, and to build yourself as a character that stands firm in clarity and honesty.


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