The Actor and The Liar

After playing a convincing role as an action hero in a new film, a movie star exits the stage, leaving his character behind, and attends a press conference claiming that he did all his own stunts, becoming both an actor and a liar. When it comes to the difference between these two characters, clear differentiations are not immediately apparent. In this example, in order to impress his audience, both the actor and the liar are untruthful regarding their accomplishments. Both require a skilled performer who is well versed in the various protocols. A good liar must display flawless body language, careful not to reveal the truth. At the same time a good actor must abandon the habits of his true-life and replace with them with the inclinations of his specific character. Overall, the practices of acting and lying share countless similarities and many people view them as synonymous with one another.

A liar must be a person who seems to be trustworthy, in order to lead his listeners away from the truth. Lying becomes a part of our everyday lives because of the plethora of topics available that one can lie about. Just as an actor will often lie about his personality on stage, an everyday person may also lie about who he really is. A liar must also present a convincing enough story, not one that is too far fetched for others to believe. Occasionally a liar may become wrapped up in his own lie and begin to see it as reality effecting him beyond any possible foresight. A confident liar must approach his audience calm and collected, prepared for any scenario his audience may present. He speaks with his listener just as though they were under normal circumstances. He presents his story and acts surprised if his audience doesn’t quite believe...

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...In conclusion, a liar’s mistruth is an act aimed at self gain at the expense of others. On the other hand, people are never truly harmed by the fibs told by an actor in a production; on the contrary, the lies are for the audience’s enjoyment. This brings out the apparent fact that mankind makes a clear distinction between acting and lying, and illustrates the reason that acting is acceptable while lying is not. The secrets and lies kept and manufactured by an actor are left behind on the stage and usually end there, unlike the lies we experience in real life, which often follow us wherever we go. In addition, actors never lie without the knowledge of the viewer, while a liar requires the very opposite. These ideas combined, expose an important human emotional stance: we find comfort in the openness of dishonesty, but are repulsed by the deceit in apparent sincerity.