Most of us think we are about 15 per cent cleverer, nicer, more attractive and better drivers than others think we are. It seems deception begins at home. After all the most convincing liars convince themselves first. Sellers and buyers, parents and children, friends and lovers must conceal from each other the unutterable truth that they don't believe or want the same things. In this book, Ziyad Marar throws a revealing light on the many ways deception is woven into the texture of human life: our wiring leaves us easily suckered by persuasive illusions, while our contradictory desires (for sex and honesty, money and kindness, for cake and losing weight) force us to cook up self-serving stories. We manage flattering impressions with effortless skill, while pretending our sins and self-indulgences are beyond our control.Drawing on insights from philosophy, psychology and literature, Marar 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".

When prominent businessman and arts patron E. Dillon Parsons is murdered at the prestigious Verdi Society’s annual masquerade ball, Homicide Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur Kim is plunged into the Philadelphia arts scene, where, to find the killer he must follow a path of deception in which the arts are subject to corporate whim and justice is subordinated to political expediency. When three other members of the city’s arts scene are murdered, the pathways of deception branch even farther, forcing Kim to cope with pressure from his superior officer, who wants to be police commissioner; from the District Attorney, who wants to be mayor; and from an overbearing newspaper editor, who wants headlines. They want an arrest and conviction, even though Kim is convinced the prime suspect is innocent. Along the way, Kim must come to grips with the deceptions of his own life. Half Korean, half Caucasian, he is torn between two cultures. Unsure of his own identity, he has become alienated from his American stepfather, who brought him to this country and raised him as his own, then abandoned him and his mother for another woman. Now, he must follow deception’s path until he reaches a doorway of truth.

In Iron Age Ireland, Maeve, the fierce, willful youngest daughter of King Eochu of Connacht, is caught in a web of lies after rebelling to avoid fosterage with another highborn family and an arranged marriage.

"The chapters on the exercises are a treasure chest of material to work with, covering a whole array of scenarios. . . . I think virtually every page and topic could spark robust and spirited classroom discussion starting with the text title itself." —Ronald W. Vardy, University of Houston "Most students have very little or no background [in this subject area], so Clark’s work is great to introduce students to intelligence and the analytical disciplines . . . a really excellent book that fills a gaping hole in the public literature and is of genuinely great value to both students and practitioners." —Carl A. Wege, Professor Emeritus, College of Coastal Georgia Bridging the divide between theory and practice, Deception: Counterdeception and Counterintelligence provides a thorough overview of the principles of deception and its uses in intelligence operations. This masterful guide focuses on practical training in deception for both operational planners and intelligence analysts using a case-based approach. Authors Robert M. Clark and William L. Mitchell draw from years of professional experience to offer a fresh approach to the roles played by information technologies such as social media. By reading and working through the exercises in this text, operations planners will learn how to build and conduct a deception campaign, and intelligence analysts will develop the ability to recognize deception and support deception campaigns. Key Features New channels for deception, such as social media, are explored to show readers how to conduct and detect deception activities through information technology. Multichannel deception across the political, military, economic, social, infrastructure, and information domains provides readers with insight into the variety of ways deception can be used as an instrument for gaining advantage in conflict. Contemporary and historical cases simulate real-world raw intelligence and provide readers with opportunities to use theory to create a successful deception operation. A series of practical exercises encourages students to think critically about each situation. The exercises have several possible answers, and conflicting raw material is designed to lead readers to different answers depending on how the reader evaluates the material. Individual and team assignments offer instructors the flexibility to proceed through the exercises in any order and assign exercises based on what works best for the classroom setup.

This volume explores the concept of deception from a multidisciplinary perspective, reflecting how deception is considered across numerous fields ranging from literature and historical cases to psychological science.

"I speak the truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare...."-- Montaigne "All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness.'" -- Tennessee Williams Truth and deception--like good and evil--have long been viewed as diametrically opposed and unreconcilable. Yet, few people can honestly claim they never lie. In fact, deception is practiced habitually in day-to-day life--from the polite compliment that doesn't accurately relay one's true feelings, to self-deception about one's own motivations. What fuels the need for people to intricately construct lies and illusions about their own lives? If deceptions are unconscious, does it mean that we are not responsible for their consequences? Why does self-deception or the need for illusion make us feel uncomfortable? Taking into account the sheer ubiquity and ordinariness of deception, this interdisciplinary work moves away from the cut-and-dried notion of duplicity as evil and illuminates the ways in which deception can also be understood as a adaptive response to the demands of living with others. The book articulates the boundaries between unethical and adaptive deception demonstrating how some lies serve socially approved goals, while others provoke distrust and condemnation. Throughout, the volume focuses on the range of emotions--from feelings of shame, fear, or envy, to those of concern and compassion--that motivate our desire to deceive ourselves and others. Providing an interdisciplinary exploration of the widespread phenomenon of lying and deception, this volume promotes a more fully integrated understanding of how people function in their everyday lives. Case illustrations, humor and wit, concrete examples, and even a mock television sitcom script bring the ideas to life for clinical practitioners, behavioral scientists, and philosophers, and for students in these realms.

This title gathers together essays on deception, self-deception, and the intersections of the two phenomena, from the leading thinkers on the subject. It will be of interest to philosophers across the spectrum including those interested in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, and metaphysics.

The Encyclopedia of Deception examines lying from multiple perspectives drawn from the disciplines of social psychology, sociology, history, business, political science, cultural anthropology, moral philosophy, theology, law, family studies, evolutionary biology, philosophy, and more. From the “little white lie,” to lying on a resume, to the grandiose lies of presidents, this two-volume reference explores the phenomenon of lying in a multidisciplinary context to elucidate this common aspect of our daily lives. Not only a cultural phenomenon historically, lying is a frequent occurrence in our everyday lives. Research shows that we are likely to lie or intentionally deceive others several times a day or in one out of every four conversations that lasts more than 10 minutes. Key Features: More than 360 authored by key figures in the field are organized A-to-Z in two volumes, which are available in both print and electronic formats. Entries are written in a clear and accessible style that invites readers to explore and reflect on the use of lying and self-deception. Each article concludes with cross references to related entries and further readings. This academic, multi-author reference work will serve as a general, non-technical resource for students and researchers within social and behavioral science programs who seek to better understand the historical role of lying and how it is employed in modern society.