Society is deception

Sun Tzu, the master Chinese strategist, wrote that "all warfare is based on deception."

The same can be said of society, especially today's overly mediatized society. In a recent research survey, nearly 70% of Americans admit they no longer know WHO to trust.

Indeed, all information sources have a deceptive component. Even institutions have agendas to promote and protect.

I've studied and worked in media (journalism) and marketing, so I know at least two major fields where deception skills are actually taught and practiced.

Journalism students in their third year, for instance, are taught how to rewrite a passage by Tolstoy in the style of Hemingway. Why? To train them so they can create more captivating stories which will lure more readers. Of course, this helps advertisers since great story-telling boosts ratings and readership.

The elite, of course, doesn't rely on news media. Karl Lagerfeld, for instance, admits he has cultivated his own network of spies, with whom he communicates via fax (he's of the "old" generation who prefers actual handwriting to email).

Every U.S. President since Pearl Harbor also relies on a daily document produced by top CIA analysts, called the President's Daily Brief. This 12-page document, "For the President's Eyes Only," is written to inform him of the top international issues of concern so he is fully cognizant of threats and opportunities.

So what is the success secret? See and study society and all events in society with your mind, not with your eyes or ears.

The eye and the ear are easily deceived. The trained mind is not so easily deceived.