Comment by user3939382 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by user3939382 | Hacker News Reader

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We have been conditioned to think it's acceptable, because it's now normal, to live in a society where we're constantly deceived and lied to. Everything is marketing, PR, spin.

From all the corporations that control so much of our lives, the government, science, medicine, religion. Every major institution in our society. Every message has to be carefully parsed and squinted at, one always has to deduce what might have been the (truthful, real, honest) conversation behind closed doors that produced what we're hearing or reading.

From every message it is possible to know only one thing: what the author wants us to think. What is real is almost always another story.

That is tiresome.

Related clip from Crazy People https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzyNPoI17rE

PR exists because honesty and frankness are punished in our society and people will jump at any opportunity to prosecute or sue. The result is PR fluff, endless disclaimers, and announcements with as little detail of the internal workings of a decision as possible which need to pass through review by legal and finance teams.

But we all know that, right? We don't need to pretend like we don't, or act like we are offended by it, as if it's the first press release we've ever seen.

You’re not wrong. But I’d add: benefits are always motivations. It’s easier to deceive, which is what PR is, but it’s also profitable. We can’t blame people for complaining that they’re being deceived just because it’s common.

thats not true, honesty is valued, but what PR does is attempt to lie and spin things in a way that misleads a stupid audience into thinking that something else is happening, and this can be beneficial.

this is why lying exists, because the ones doing the lying thinks it benefits them over telling the truth.

PR is lies, spindoctors are liars and scammers

> PR exists because honesty and frankness are punished in our society and people will jump at any opportunity to prosecute or sue.

Okay, then clearly the solution is to punish dishonesty even more harshly, thus fixing the incentives.

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