How necessary is it to be competent at pretending, in order to be a success in adult human society?

Question

Think of all the successful adult humans you know. Did they have to be really good at maintaining some level of pretence too?

Answer 1

Pretending isn't an adult characteristic. I have learnt that if we are fakes, we get found out eventually. I have also learnt to listen, which is how one spots phonies and learns to avoid them.

As for successful adult humans I know personally, most are creative, i.e., writers, poets, artists. A few are in business. And a few others are in the professions - doctors, lawyers, teachers, and so on. If any of these are pretending, they are doing a fine job of it and haven't been found out. Not by me, anyway.

As mature adults we come to terms with who we are, and must accept ourselves with all our flaws. If we even attempted to do otherwise, we'd mess things up. So any baggage left over from our young years is discarded.

Remember the quote: "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive." So pretence is in fact lying. And lying is a nuisance.

This then, is who I am. Pretence isn't an option. Nor would I want it to be. It's too much to contend with. Living honestly will have to do.

Good question, by the way!

Answer 2

Very neccessary;and i applaud you for raising such
a question.
One great critical scholar-no longer with us-would have
loved to answer this question;he did,of course,when
showing that Marx on-the-left,and Plato on-the-right,
were both pretending(if only mistakenly).
In doing so Sir karl Popper almost alone amoungst 20th
century scholars,showed clearly and -decisively-that both
left,right and in-between present day polititions (like those
of oid!) have to be "competent at pretending"!

That this is not generally known is a disgrace to your education and mine(which is or was british).

We MUST accept that nearly all polititions try their best
(like teachers do);
But they do have to pretend to look right(as we are taught
by commercials and shows);they do have to pretend to
act right,(for who else of importance is entitled to say"I
am the Ruler!). They should not cry,not too much like any
normal person anyway(!)
In effect,they should hardly be human;and i mean they that
they should not make the mistakes that you and i make.

All this is of course heresy; Heresy especially to the teachers
and lecture-ers who make a living from (in actuality) promoting these guys;and their so-called (funny) parties.
As i said,both left And right.
Do the teachers pretend-even as much as a neo group of
republicans or democrats?
i think the answer must be in the affirmative(yes);
And i for one wont lose too much sleep over this tonight.
Possibly tomorrow,though.

( The guy below i quote as my source,has now shown that-
Plato = the iconic teacher Pretender, and
Marx = the iconic politition Pretender.
Here then i've presented to you (via my source!!) two
of history's biggest examples of pretending.)

Answer 3

If you are very good at pretending and do it long enough you will cease to be pretending and become what you envision.