o Appearance Vs Reality- Perception and Deception

APPEARANCE VS REALITY-

PERCEPTION AND DECEPTION:

I am not what I am. (I.i)

During a conversation with Roderigo36 , Iago asserts that he is not what he appears to be. He best portrays the theme of appearance vs reality, as he seems to be honest and obliging, whereas, in reality, he is a manipulative character who brings about mayhem for revenge.

Certainly, we cannot help but run after a sparkling outwardly world and be enchanted by appearances to a certain degree. As such, only a few care to know what nestles behind the curtains, granting cunning people the opportunity to shape others’ perceptions.

In this regard, perception serves as a lens through which we see reality and influences the way we process, remember, understand, decide, interpret and act in real life. Be that as it may, this lens is often misshaped by our genetic predispositions, past experiences, prior knowledge, emotions, self-interest, and cognitive distortions.37

The challenge this implies is how to secure that perceptions remain as close to reality as possible. This alignment is a requisite to find consensus with others, and maintain the indispensable individual and societal structures.

36 Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand. Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for Desdemona. 37 Daniel Kahneman, the noted psychologist who received the 2002 Nobel Prize winner in economics, created a veritable cottage industry by identifying what he termed cognitive biases that are systematic ways in which humans create a subjective social reality that deviates from objective reality.