F***ing Blame Plato
- Kristian Lei
- Apr 30, 2017
- 5 min read
You know how some people like to gossip? One person says something to someone, then that someone tells someone else and then it becomes a known to a group of people and the cycle keeps going.
Let me ask you a question:
How would you feel if your work ethics have been questioned based on the things you do outside of work? For example… acting.
I had worked in Corporate America for 14 years and there were times when clients in the corporate work environment wondered if I could be trusted based on the knowledge that I was an actor. From what I have been told at the time, the higher-ups were satisfied with the work I have done; However, people didn't know if what I have said or done was true or not. I interpret this concern as - people wondered if I was a liar simply because I am an actor. The reason why I have brought up this particular topic is because once there was a client whom I never met, but have heard that I was an actor and brought up this concern to one of my managers and these managers decided to express this concern with me.
Back then, I never introduced myself as an actor in my corporate profession and not everyone knew that. If fellow workers and clients found out I was an actor, they found out by watching me in a commercial, a stage production, or a gig. At first I was upset, but more disappointed in the end. I was judged for my passion as an actor instead of the years of hard work I put into my corporate career. There was time and place for my acting and that was on my own time, rehearsals and performances. When this client heard I was an actor, the only thing I could think about was, "this guy thinks I'm a liar." I know it’s only an assumption but it was a disappointment to hear this kind of concern in the work environment.
Quick rant...
I have no reason to lie in the workplace. When I am at work, I am an employee. When I am on stage, I am an actor. Why would I waste time creating drama? What would I benefit from lying to the client? Fucking Seriously !?!
(clears throat. ahem) Coincidentally at the time of this controversy, a friend of mine asked, “Do you think acting is the same as lying?” He wondered about this question for a while as was an actor as well. I looked at him and said, “No.”
I started browsing the web on this particular topic. I soon realized this question has been around for quite some time. In fact, this idea of actors being liars dates back to the time of Plato who further discusses his ideals of censorship in his book called The Republic. To paraphrase, it was Plato who said, "fiction is untruth and untruths are lies. And we should not tell our children lies if we do not want to corrupt them." So any stories that were not approved were deemed fiction, especially those that spoke false tales of gods and heroes like Homer's Odyssey. Not only were stories censored but poetry or paintings that suggest any worldly views or charmed a viewer to be inspired or glorified was banned. So if there is anyone to blame for instances like this, fucking blame Plato.
Anyways, the question I asked myself while I was researching the web on this topic was “Any of these articles come from the perspective of an actor?” Because Acting and Lying are worlds apart. and an actor has a very different perspective.
To really answer the question if actors are liars, let me first ask, the definition of LYING.
The best source on the definition of lying I have found online comes from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The most common definition state:
"To lie is to make a believed-false statement to another person with the intention that other person believes that statement to be true.”
The encyclopedia goes into full detail on the definition of a lie (something I didn’t expect). This common definition of lie has at least (which means there possibly could be more) and I quote, “4 necessary conditions” for lying and this reason is why I think the Encyclopedia of Philosophy is the best source for definition of this term. If you want to check it out here is a link to the page: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lying-definition/.
What I gathered was lying means to intentionally tells another person a false statement and the other person believes this false statement as true. After reading the conditions, “intend” refers to the “intention to deceive.” So a better understanding of lying would be an intention to deceive another person by telling a believed false statement and the other person believes false statement to be true.
With this definition of lying understood as an actor - Am I intentionally deceiving the audience by telling believed false statements and they believe it’s true? NO.
Both the audience and the actor know that everything done on stage is make-believe. Nothing is truly real and that is understood on both parties. But that doesn’t mean there were no intentions. An actor intends to portray his or her character as best as possible. A director intends for his or her vision of the play to be understood, the playwright – his or her story to be told, and the audience intends to be inspired, relieved from their daily lives, entertained. No one, as far as I believe, is being deceived.
I am an actor who portrays a character who expresses the character's intention as true as possible I’m not lying to anyone because everyone involved. The moment I enter the stage I am revealing the character’s truths by using the tools (the delivery of emotions, physicality, vocal tonality, etc.) I have learned though my craft. The actor who is on stage is the link between the audience and the character that is portrayed. The actor invites the audience to be apart of this make-believe world and engage them. The character portrayed helps the audience understand the world that has been created.
With all this research and having a deeper understanding of lying, my perception of my corporate career and me being an actor has changed. Like I said before, when I am at work, I am an employee; and when I am on stage, I am an actor. As far as the client is concerned, if they believe they are on a stage when speaking with me, then I think they are lying to themselves. And if you are an actor who works a corporate job and have had to deal with a similar shit like this - Fuck'em! Shrug it off your shoulders and don’t let it affect you. People like that people could never understand the things we do because we live in other peoples shoes. Corporate America only thinks about business. Actors think business and everything in between.
And my friend who wondered about this topic in question, I ask you this, “As an actor who are you lying to?”
Comment below, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Interesting reads while I was researching and inspiration on this post:
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lying-definition/
Truth about Deception http://www.truthaboutdeception.com/lying-and-deception/confronting-a-partner/compulsive-lying/types-of-liars.html
Sources: Mahon, James Edwin, “The Definition of Lying and Deception”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lying-definition/
Geernic, Jan Willem, "Plato on Censorship", artandpopularculture.com (Nov. 17. 2015) URL= http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Plato_on_censorship
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