Deconstructing a high stakes deception : a case study of false claims of heroism
Subject
Canadian liberation of Holland; Deceiver/Receiver attractant traits; Deceptive communication strategies; Hero/liberation story; High stakes deception; Personality traitsAbstract
A high stakes deception surpasses other intentional forms of deceit because it is a strategic construction of distorted truths which supplies notable benefits to the Deceiver but purposely delivers deleterious outcomes to targeted Receivers. The level of risk necessary for the Deceiver to accomplish these desired results is tempered by the intense satisfaction of having successfully orchestrated it, of having "won". Specifically, some high stakes deception is unique in that it is well prepared, produced as revenge to a targeted person, and maintained over time using a developed public persona that is exemplary and credible.
A historical, single case study was selected in order to deconstruct the multiple aspects of this type of high stakes deception, to further understand how contextual elements, personal characteristics and interpersonal communication tactics combine to enable a Deceiver to conceive and implement strategic manoeuvrings efficaciously. The case study exposes a deception by a Dutch Jewish individual who lived through both the Holocaust years in Amsterdam and a short incarceration in a Nazi transit camp at the end of World War II. Forty eight years after the war, he made a startling claim that he was the liberator of almost nine hundred Jewish prisoners from a Dutch transit camp, Kamp Westerbork. His survivor/hero script brought him considerable prestige and financial reward, the capstone being a knighthood conferred onto him by the Royal Dutch House of Orange, although Dutch historians later debunked his claim. The deconstruction of the deception broadens the understanding of how the Deceiver was able to effect a convincing deception to a wide Receiver audience, with minimal accountability. The study supports the Interpersonal Deception Theory.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
What can liberal education provide for citizens of liberal democracy?
Livingstone, David (The Eric Voegelin Society, 2017-11-06)When one looks at the history of higher education in Canada and the United States it is striking to note that at one time every university regarded liberal education as its central purpose. Moreover, that purpose was ... -
[Book Review] Why the humanities matter today: In defense of liberal education
Livingstone, David (The Eric Voegelin Society, 2017-11-25)David Livingston reviews "Why the humanities matter today: In defense of liberal education" edited by Lee Trepanier (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017). -
Still so little for the mind: The enduring relevance of Hilda Neatby's defense of liberal education in public schools
Livingstone, David (The Eric Voegelin Society, 2017-11-27)Hilda Neatby was disturbed by the education system’s sudden and enthusiastic rush to embrace John Dewey’s philosophical ideas. The reforms being implemented in Canadian public schools in the 1940s and 50s were promising ...