Deceit

 On Page 343 of his book, BEYOND ORDER 12 MORE RULES FOR LIFE, Jordan Peterson provides a rich, perplexing, unexpected yet appropriate definition of deception: "There appear to be two broad forms of deceit: sins of commission, the things you do knowing full well they are wrong; and sins of omission, which are things you merely let slide--you know you should look at, do, or say something, but you do not."

To deceive or to lie, then, according to Jordan is not confined to verbal deceiving. It is also a sin of commission and omission whereof you knew your duty, but chose to do bad, or allow wickedness to spread because you did not find it convenient at that moment to stand up for what is right.

There are several presuppositions at work here. First, Jordan posits that our wills are free, that we choose to do evil rather than good. Second, our conscience will make us suffer for sinning, but we justify, rationalize, and bury our conscience so that we cannot heed its warnings and disapproving criticisms. Third, to be authentic is to be good, and to be good is to live by the commands that f God or Reality demands that we live. That truthful speech in action.

I approve of his view that to be good is to be good and do good, and such truthful speech and action will be recognized and rewarded by an approving conscience when we say and do as we are supposed to be saying and doing.

For my contribution to all of this, I would just like to suggest that if individuating was commonplace, these implicit conditions of sinning or refusing to sin, this living a lie or living in holy truth, all of these conditions for calming one's watchful conscience, that natural inner voice of Go welling up in all of us, then these existential conditions and expectations would be consciously clear for most people, and they would be much better equipped to lead good, honest lives.