Artifice: A Double-Edged Sword

    The discussion of artifice in class was quite intriguing to me, so over the weekend I thought about its prevalence and use in modern culture. Artifice can be used successfully but is a double-edged sword: if the truth gets out, many can turn against you. On a small scale, artifice doesn't have a large impact–merely sugarcoating your opinion about your friend's stylistic choices isn't going to hurt anybody. However, when artifice is employed against a larger crowd or with wrong intentions, the effects can be catastrophic. For instance, when president Nixon denied the Watergate scandal allegations, he used artifice against his nation. Although some believed him at first, the lasting impacts when the truth was revealed were devastating. Other than damaging his own reputation, Nixon caused the political world to shake, leaving many Americans to lose confidence in their own nation. Obviously, not participating in such affairs was the best option but if the government had been open about all their actions, such controversy would have no room to exist. 

    Another aspect of artifice in the current world can be seen through the stigma behind mental illnesses. After starting the clinical psych unit in my AP Psychology class, I learned that most people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. Many people hide their true feelings believing that such problems are fake or shunned against, causing their mental states to deteriorate. There have been so many souls with bright smiles who have left this world because of mental illnesses. No one suspects that they are actually suffering mentally because they cover up their pain with an artificial smile. In this instance, artifice does serve its purpose, but at what price? Artifice can be a useful tool but it’s drawbacks are numerous, so after all, it really shouldn’t be used. In the end, this discussion prompts us to go back to the principle that many of us learned as children: even the smallest lie can break the biggest trust.