This is http://www.essayz.com/a9004091.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %CONVOLUTED COLLUSION ADDICTIVE DISHONESTY CONFUSE 900409 It is useful to recognize just how convoluted can become the collusive games of mutual self deception which are played by addicts and their network of supportive codependents. In collusive games of mutual self deception truth is confused with falsehood and falsehood is confused with truth. Initially the purpose of such confusion is to mislead people to take advantage of them. Dishonesty is regarded as a useful tool, a technique, a technology. Dishonesty is used as a screw driver or hammer, to do something to some body to take advantage of it to achieve an intended purpose. The process can be very objective and technologically very sophisticated, making use of many scientific discoveries. For dishonesty to be effective as a tool the person who uses the tool must use it convincingly; to be effective others must be convinced by a convincing presentation. To be convincing an actor must get into the act and believe in the authenticity of the presentation. To be convincing in the use of dishonesty as a tool, the dishonest actor must believe the misleading presentation to be authentic and worthy of respect. If you want to get others to be confused so you can take advantage of them, you must get into the act and be confused your self; but then you become the victim of your misleading act, just as much as your intended victim becomes the victim of your actions. The more effectively you use dishonesty as a tool, the more confused you your self become, and soon you do not know the difference between truth and falsehood. Then the second and more extreme stage of confusion begins to operate upon you and your intended victims. When colluders do not know the difference between truth and falsehood, they may for manipulative purposes pretend that what they think (in their confusion) to be false (but is really true) is true, for the purpose of misleading others and taking advantage of them. They may also for manipulative purposes pretend that what they think (in their confusion) to be true (but is really false) to be false, for the purpose of misleading others and taking advantage of them. Confusion can become so convoluted that even with great effort those who began by trying to use deception as a manipulative tool, find that they are just as much the victim of their tool gone wild, as are their intended victims. They become utterly unable to sort out what is true and what is false, and become utterly unable to use deception effectively as a manipulative tool, because they cannot tell a lie, and be sure that it is a lie; nor can they tell the truth, and be sure it is the truth. Their deceptive technology has made the ground under them turn to jelly, and there is no firm ground to stand on. When you do not know the difference between truth and falsehood, you cannot learn from your own mistakes, and are doomed to repeat them in utter confusion. You cannot be sure what experiences are authentic, and what are confused dreams and misleading visions. You cannot rely upon what your friends tell you, because they are playing your game of mutual self deception; so you cannot reliably learn from the mistakes which others make, and so are doomed to repeat them. In such a state of confusion there is no ground for hope, and crisis follows crisis with no clear light to reveal how to avoid despair, desperation, and depression. Using dishonesty and deception as a manipulative tool is a slow and painful way to commit suicide. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================