How fake is too fake?

“Fake it till you make it,” is the battle cry of many in the self-help field. And I must confess, I find the advice very helpful at times.

When I’m feeling unsure of myself, pretending to be confident often helps me feel confident.

When I’m feeling frustrated, pretending to be calm often helps me feel calm.

And when I’m eating my wife’s meatloaf, pretending I enjoy it often helps me keep it down. Okay, maybe that’s taking it too far, but you get the point.

So the advice can be helpful. But how fake is too fake?

Consider…

Is it okay to pretend to be someone you’re not in order to get what you want from others? If not, what if you have good intentions? Is it okay then?

Is it okay to pretend to have professional experience one does not have? If not, what if others won’t otherwise give you a chance? Is it okay then?

Is it okay to pretend to have degrees one does not have? If not, what if you’re only doing it to help build your credibility so you can help others more effectively. Is it okay then?

I pose these questions because I’m curious where the line should be drawn. Just when does one cross the line from pretending to defrauding?

I’ll leave this question for you to answer for yourself, but I encourage you to consider that there is a line and that crossing it is no joke. In fact, it can be a crime.

If you don’t believe me, check out this post from my friend Cosmic Connie:

Faux-degree plans on hold?

So before we all go out and “fake it till we make it,” we might want to first stop and consider which side of the line we’ll be on. If we don’t, we shouldn’t be surprised when someone else does it for us.

Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 06:31 AM

Printer friendly

Comments on this blog have been disabled

Share Blair: