Spiraling sluggishly in the swampy depths of deception

December 04, 2019 12:33 PM

Woody wrote in one of his recent movies that he didn’t know who he loathed more, those who use simple tricks to prey on the gullible, or the gullible, who are so stupid that they deserve what they get.

As someone who’s always been a bit too trusting of others, this insight resonates deeply with me.

Because on one hand, deception is part and parcel of being human. People deceive each other all of the time. Present company included. Deception may not be the most moral horizon to march towards, but it is still a highly useful tactic for accomplishing a goal.

Duly noted.

However, what happens we are on the receiving end of it? What happens when, somehow, all of the warnings in the world don’t quite convince us? And we end up buying into some unsafe story, only to find ourselves spiraling sluggishly in the swampy depths of deception?

Years ago, twenty minutes before a job interview for a position that seemed quite exciting and lucrative, a friend of mine sent me a link the company’s profile on a career search engine. To my surprise, it had over a hundred reviews from former employees whose work experience was overwhelmingly negative.

The one headline that caught my attention was:

Turn back now while you still can.

That immediately activated the clangor of my internal warning bells.

This is not a good sign. You would be foolish to block your eyes to this deception.

Further research proved me right. This was not the place for me. It would have been a poor career move.

Next time you hear a faint warning within, take action on your intuitive leads. But also allow your hunches and instincts to catapult you to move closer to fact.

Verify your intuition with data. Stop wondering what you think and start asking what you know. Before deception sinks its claws into your flesh.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…