Despite the validity of the Ten Commandments, children should learn to lie.  This isn’t just my crazy idea, it is grounded in the serious thinking of others.  A child who doesn’t know how to lie will be targeted, taken advantage of, hurt, or worse.

I once asked my daughter in kindergarten whether she would tell the truth if her friend was hiding in a closet and a bad person asked whether he was there.  She said she would tell him her friend was at the playground instead to divert and confuse.  Recently, my son asked whether dying on your feet would be less preferable than playing dead to be left alone. 

Proud dad.

The Art of War discuses the use of the conventional and unconventional.  Conventional to accomplish the unconventional and vice versa.  And they aren’t static – what is conventional today may be unconventional tomorrow, unconventional today, conventional tomorrow.

Like using lies to tell the truth.  Truth to tell lies.  And everything in between.  Unfortunately in my work, I was too familiar with these practices.  I once drafted some material for the Department’s propaganda wing.  Fun, but a bit icky looking back.