Glamorous and fake? What does it cost us?

Glamour in the Fake

I have been reading about The Great Gatsby and wondering about the lavishness of it all. Sometimes we see glamour in the fake ( though maybe not in this photo of David and myself!) – and we know it to be fake. So is it alright just to carry on with the charade and is it hurting anyone if we do?

So much energy

A Fierce conversations session this week has helped me with this thought. There is a lot of energy that goes into a fake – whether it’s a fake copy of a painting, done meticulously to mimic the natural brilliance of the original, or the endless correction of oneself if trying to be something we are not. It takes so much energy that could seriously be much better put to the real stuff.

In addition there is the cost to those around us. They either don’t know it’s a fake – so they feel duped at some point ( doesn’t it always come out?) or else they see it for its frippery and fakery and can’t ever really be sure which side they are on.

Show or a fake?

So I think my distinction is between a show and a fake, and the disclosure of whether it is authentic or not. A show – make believe in all its finery – is a temporary portrayal of something, an escape from the real – just for the escapes sake and this is to be enjoyed and relished. A fake is always trying to be something it is not and for this reason it seems set to disappoint.

I would rather have the show.

By Tasha George