Fake it till you make it?

Photo by Simon Ray

“Fake it till you make it” is a phrase that’s beloved by life hack gurus and charlatans alike. It’s the ultimate mantra that would transform someone from zero to hero in the eyes of the beholder. It takes an inexperienced person and gives them credentials. An incompetent person, becomes skilled.

But, as the Simon & Garfunkel song goes, “And I know I’m fakin’ it, I’m not really makin’ it.”

Having worked in the entertainment industry, I have probably met more followers of this mantra than most people—though there are worshipers of it to be found across a spectrum of industries. I remember meeting these people at parties as I’d try to figure out what they were really up to as they’d explain all their on-going projects to me, and I’d think: “If only they told me the truth, maybe I could have actually helped them?”

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