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Can we be sincere?

Hypocrisy is necessary to play alliances effectively the game of alliances.Conversely, sincerity is necessary to establish a constructive relationship based on facts.

Consequently:

Now, if one's objective is to succeed in one's life, and one is facing someone who practices hypocrisy, should one practice it in return or not?The right approach seems to be the following, even if, being a particular personality, I am myself unable to apply it:When approaching a new person, begin by respecting the social conventions of the environment. This means, in concrete terms, approaching the person while hiding behind one's social mask.Then, through interaction, look for clues to determine whether a shift toward sincerity with that person is possible, and to what extent. The extent depends on their beliefs (which oppose the consideration of facts).The higher the level of possible sincerity, the more we are dealing with a person with whom we can build a constructive relationship, allowing us to feel secure in life and to succeed in life. The lower the level of possible sincerity, the more we are dealing with a person with whom we can only play the game of alliances, effective for succeeding in life, but unstable, anxiety-inducing, and humanly unsatisfying in the long term due to the effects of cognitive dissonance.

Quote

Confucius, The Analects, 1.3: 'He who seeks to please men by refined words and a composed appearance ruins his natural virtues.'

Go deeper

Refer to the question 'How to succeed in one's life?' to understand clearly the difference between succeeding in life and succeeding in one's life, then 'What is difficult to overcome to succeed in one's life?' to better understand the specific issue related to sincerity.Sincerity is also the key element in determining the foundations of the relationship one forms. On this subject, refer to the question 'What is a good partner?'.