“You are what you make yourself out to be,” is a saying that I have heard frequently, but didn’t quite understand until it finally clicked. Anybody seeking power, whether it be a politician, business owner, or an average day competitor, uses the essence of acting. The use of narratives and white lies allows for the powerful to entice the people surrounding them by painting themselves as a perfect person. Author of Empire of Illusion, Chris Hedges, contends that artifice is needed as a skill for success. Artifice is an essential tool in competitions where individuals have to assert their “power”, there are instances in our Presidential administration where acting is crucial, and artifice is sometimes needed to create connections.
In any competition, …show more content…
Connections, at times, require acts of artifice because somebody may not be able to relate as well to a certain person or group of people. By telling these stories of artifice, it allows people to cater to more people. World leaders must be able to relate to the people they are representing. For example, in the House of Representatives the goal of a representative is to represent the people to the best of their ability. They are elected into office because of the power in the people, thus they must cater to the people to show that they are going to try to accomplish things in office that would benefit the people. This artifice includes a narrative that is told proving that they are “common people”. A common phrase that the American public hears from leaders (of any trade) is that they “started with nothing” and even though, at times, this is a false narrative it connects the people with this leader seeking power. Support and respect derived from the people “below” them is essential to being a representative in our country. Additionally, the powerful can connect with the people through universal wants in society. The powerful often live luxurious lifestyles which demonstrate a life of which most Americans dream of obtaining. The public sees that in lives of luxury there seems to be no evident problems and with that they are capable to lead society. The artifice surrounding luxury yields an inherent power to the wealthy. In making connections with people, the powerful must utilize the public’s appeal to
In any competition, …show more content…
Connections, at times, require acts of artifice because somebody may not be able to relate as well to a certain person or group of people. By telling these stories of artifice, it allows people to cater to more people. World leaders must be able to relate to the people they are representing. For example, in the House of Representatives the goal of a representative is to represent the people to the best of their ability. They are elected into office because of the power in the people, thus they must cater to the people to show that they are going to try to accomplish things in office that would benefit the people. This artifice includes a narrative that is told proving that they are “common people”. A common phrase that the American public hears from leaders (of any trade) is that they “started with nothing” and even though, at times, this is a false narrative it connects the people with this leader seeking power. Support and respect derived from the people “below” them is essential to being a representative in our country. Additionally, the powerful can connect with the people through universal wants in society. The powerful often live luxurious lifestyles which demonstrate a life of which most Americans dream of obtaining. The public sees that in lives of luxury there seems to be no evident problems and with that they are capable to lead society. The artifice surrounding luxury yields an inherent power to the wealthy. In making connections with people, the powerful must utilize the public’s appeal to