K.SAT

Deceptionis universally thought of to be a negative behavior, used usually for selfishbenefit. Unfortunately, deception is most often used in this way. Sometimes though,covering up an inconvenient truth can be beneficial. If used in the rightmanner, deception can prove to be more beneficial than being completely honest.

Positivedeception can come in more forms than one. The most commonly used type ofdeception is known as a white lie. Suppose a friend of yours worked really hardon a painting, and asked for your opinion on it. Even if you didn’t care for it,you would more than likely tell them it was good no matter what you actuallythought of it. In this kind of situation it would more than likely go bad ifyou did tell the truth. They might think that you were mean, egotistical orjust downright rude if you told them anything other than it is a good painting.

Anotheruseful form of positive deception is conveniently leaving out a truth ratherthan actually lying. You may for instance leave out certain key details thatcould potentially cause an upsetting situation. For instance, a husband maytell his wife that he was over at a close friend’s house, but could choose toleave out that he had a few drinks. It did in fact happen, but telling her thistruth would just cause an unwanted conflict. By using concealment in the rightplace both the deceiver, and the person being deceived can win.

Stretchingthe truth may also seem to work if used in good tastes. Using this form ofdeception is a little tricky, because an intelligent person will be able todetect your lie if you stray too far from the truth. Everyone will potentiallyupset a significant other in their lives, this is inevitable. However if youcan manage to sweeten the truth a bit in your favor it is possible that theconflict will be quite less severe or even non-existent.

Itis important to choose your battles when deceiving other people. Telling thetruth is usually the best route. A well placed lie can work in everyone’sfavor, but a bad lie can ruin relationships. Deception can be a good thingsometimes, but only in rare few situations.