Ends and Means

[andrewducker]

I occasionally think about deceit and how worthwhile it is. It's one of those things I love in roleplaying games (hence my Scorpion Courtier in Legend of the 5 Rings), but avoid thoroughly in real life.

Experience has taught me that secrets cannot be kept by multiple people, the truth will come out and no matter how good your intentions were in lying to them, no matter how positive the outcome, people will hate you for not telling them the truth.

Can anyone think of situations where lies did, in fact work out for the best in the long run? (excepting things like counter-intelligence against enemy nations).

Comments

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I think that intelligence can be vital during wartime, because timing and exact & immediate knowledge are vital. OTOH, during peacetime, even during the Cold War, nothing was ever lost by having information come out a month later. I could easily see only having intelligence agencies active during and immediately prior to wars.

[andrewducker]

Aah. One of the things that came out after 9/11 was that the incoming Bush regime had shut down their Middle East intelligence networks as being unecessary, as they were slowly pulling out of other country's affairs.

And then found it impossible to just restart them instantly...