Self-deception is the supreme danger in the realm of political secrecy
Evidence
Arendt had warned: “In the realm of politics, where secrecy and deliberate deception have always played a significant role, self-deception is the danger par excellence; the self-deceived deceiver loses all contact, not only with his audience but with the real world which will catch up with him, as he can remove only his mind from it and not his body.” — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 863
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the reader’s theme of impunity and the drone operative’s split between killing fields and coffee breaks. — connects to: Imperial dispositions may be the template for modern political self-deception — Ann Laura Stoler, Along the Archival Grain_ Epistemic…, 1412; Secrecy suppresses knowledge, enforcing historical amnesia. — Nicholson Baker, Baseless- My Search for Secrets in the…, 1085; Sincerity can be an active ingredient of self-deception rather than its opposite — Ann Laura Stoler, Along the Archival Grain_ Epistemic…, 1405 (+3 more)
Related
- Recursive strategic deception can erase any determinate truth about intentions. (similarity 0.80)
- Self-deception requires precise knowledge of the truth being concealed, not ignorance (similarity 0.79)
Broader Connections
- Sincerity can be an active ingredient of self-deception rather than its opposite
#complicates(0.65) — Ann Laura Stoler, Along the Archival Grain_ Epistemic…, 1405 - Secrecy suppresses knowledge, enforcing historical amnesia.
#expands(0.60) — Nicholson Baker, Baseless- My Search for Secrets in the…, 1085 - A deliberately insulated peace can be shattered instantly by a single intrusive truth
#expands(0.55) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 88 - Suppressing truth hinders personal and social development.
#expands(0.55) — Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life An Antidote to Chaos, 642 - Self-deception is a stable life-style punctuated by abrupt awakenings
#corroborates(0.50)