The Necessity of Pretence

Pretence-the act of pretending
2.	a false display; affectation
3.	a claim, esp a false one, to a right, title, or distinction
4.	make-believe or feigning
5.	a false claim or allegation; pretext
6.	a less common word for pretension

Pretence, the act of pretending, is an essential part of human nature. Pretence  is not necessarily such a negative way to look at daily life and indeed, many metaphysical texts and teachers encourage pretending as a way to manifestation.

We think of treasure maps, those new age projects in which we’re encouraged to clip pleasing images, words and things from magazines and arrange them in a collage on paper. The treasure map represents how we want our lives to be, what we’d like to have in them; so a pretend life on paper will encourage us to think upon the things and situations that would bring us happiness and peace. The practice allows one to energetically align with the pretend things before the real thing comes to us via manifestation.

Pretence is necessary. We are not happy with a situation that has no reason to not pull forth happiness from us, so we pretend to be happy. If we showed our true colors all the time, our true feelings in every social situation, our true unhappiness or discontent with no regard to the feelings of others, we’d wind up shunned by society. We’d be a community of hermits, living singular lives with no friends, society or interaction.

Pretence doesn’t necessarily have to be false or misleading. The act of pretence is to keep a smile on your face even in situations that we find harmonically challenging.

In order to maintain cheerfulness, at times, we must fake cheerfulness. In order to get the joy, the promotion, the call, it is often necessary to rise above our inner feelings, leave them unexpressed, and simply carry on in a pleasing way to others.

And the longer we carry on the pretence, the more likely we are to adapt to it. It’s a kind of manifestation. If we put away our own self-righteous opinions for the sake of others and “carry on” we’ll find ourselves changed.  We’ll find that unbearable situation growing on us. The person we find energetically challenging becomes our lesson.  The travails of life become our test. We grow stronger and better and become adjusted to keeping to the positive side of life.

We all are spirits in human form. Pretence-the act of pretending- is a practice worth developing.

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