''Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive..'' This excerpt from Sir Walter Scott's poem, Marmion amorphously speaks to the effects of lies. The imagery of a "tangled web" immediately brings to mind the actions of a spider. A spider expends immeasurable effort and energy into constructing an elaborate web with the aim to trap its unsuspecting prey. This web of course serves as a feeding net of sorts. The spider waits in the periphery until its prey becomes entangled in its trap. Upon the preys entrapment the spider than moves in to devour its catch. Its sticky webs entangle the prey as the spider then proceeds to divest its meal of life and vitality. The spider then feeds on the object of its deception. The crafty arachnid derives satisfaction, nourishment and self preservation and the like from its victim. The art of deception is more or less a game of destructive consumption.
On the other hand it is beneficial to consider some alternate interpretation's of Scott's words from others besides myself. The following protions of commentary were ascertained from an inquiry into the meaning of Scott's phraseology:
1.) Deception is a false reality imposed on a true reality. It is a fragile and complex weaving of truth, half truths', lies and lies of omission. To successfully deceive another or several people, one must be skilled in the art of deception. To create a deception worthy of belief one must be able to create plausible details that help create the illusion of truth. It is the details that people listen to and remember and the one deceiving is obligated to remember these detail in order to avoid having the lie exposed. The problem with remembering the lies we tell is that all people are basically good and we tend to forget the bad things we've done. In order to successfully perpetuate deception, the liar must be willing to live that lie when necessary. This becomes the tangled web we weave, especially when first we practice to deceive.
2.) It means if you tell lies you'd better have a really good memory or you'll end up in a tangle of lies, half-truths and truths.
3.) Habitual liars can frequently be easily recognised because they like to keep various groups of friends and acquaintances separate for fear they'll exchange notes, thus causing the web to unravel.
4.) It's amusing to watch a confirmed liar finding themself at a function where, say, workmates and friends are present together; they fidget and glance nervously at the various groups...who'd probably never wonder about their tales except for their nervous behaviour.
5.) I think that the above explanations are very interesting, but would add that a web is what is woven by a spider, and its function is to trap flies with its stickiness; the more they wriggle to get away, the more they entangle themselves in it. Scott is warning us that the liar spins and weaves his own trap for himself, not realising he has done so until he's caught in it. Oo, nasty
6.) _______________________________ I wonder if some people try to deceive to keep others sleep
These six interpolations, though by no means exhaustive explications, do help to enlarge upon prevalent notions and conceptions of deception. I, of course, prefer my own aformentioned analysis germane to Scott's poem.
Nevertheless, the "web" undoubtedly represents an alien construct of the liar/deceiver or person perpetrating and perpetuating a false or untruthful reality of their own making. The reasons for such scheming are for present purposes inconsequential. A lie or deception is nothing more than an effort to alter someones perception of reality. More often than not it is done for the benefit of the pernicious deceiver to the detriment of the one being deceived. Lies or deception often masquerade as half truths, misinformation, selective memory, manipulation, information control, silent passivity, secrecy, word play, diversion, language games so forth and so on.
The account in Genesis of the serpent deceiving Eve is essentially an account of word play and language games that resulted in an altered reality. It goes without saying that Eve's credullity was the tool of her own descent into a sin altered reality. But her, as well as Adam's, fall into madness of sorts was not without a harbinger of deception and lies.
That agent of deception if you recall reared its ugly head in the wilderness with Jesus Christ. His methods were very much the same, as the devil employed half truths and lies of omission. Christ, as scripture records did not succomb to such verbally bellicose tactics. He did not allow himself to surrender truth for an alluring presentation of deception.
The ninth commandment of the biblical decalogue (Ex.20) speaks to this serpentine practice. Bearing false testimony against ones neighbor was considered a capital offence within rabbinical tradition. And Deuteronomic law proscribes that such a "malicious witness" and "false witness" who has "accused his brother falsely" have done to them what they sought to do; "you shall do to him as he meant to do to his brother" (Deut.19:15-21).
Moreover, if a man is aware of such a deception or sinful matter, "though he is a witness, wether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity..(Lev.5:1). To ignore the "web/s" of deception is to be complicit in those very webs. To stand silently and passively by or to exercise selective hearing/listening in crimes of deception is the same as participating in them. In other-words, to ignore Scott's "web" is to find oneself trapped in that same web of deceit subsequently becoming assimilated into it and supporting its interwoven design of delusion.
"but as for...all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.." (Rev.21:8)
Credo ut Intelligam
0 Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
