Chapter 8: A Socioanalytic View of Faking

Deception is the essence of all communication. Plants and animals constantly deceive predators and prey through mimicry, camouflage, and other duplicitous acts. Some animals, including humans, deceive members of their own species and even themselves in order to achieve status, build coalitions, attract mates, and realize other life goals. The ability to deceive is a function of natural selection and an inherent part of life. At the same time, to be deceived by others is a problem, so natural selection has also favored the ability to detect deception. The result is an arms race wherein improvements in the ability to deceive are countered by improvements in the ability to detect deception.