Being and seeming

24/04/2026 Nilson Lattari

“Looks are deceptive”. How is this phrase part of our lives today? Seeming is the protagonist in our debates, turning reality into an illusion. Many people use this strategy and can be placed inside this bubble of iniquities: from atheists to religious people, from intelligent and rude people, and from selfish to generous individuals. Everyone is breathing within this atmosphere of elements without scent, flavour or taste. This world is populated by people who believe in many things to make others believe in them.
We live in a world where we seem to be what we are not, and this is striking.
For instance, when elegant people hide violence behind the brightness of their eyes and gestures. Or some people say that God is in charge of the world, yet they keep guns in their homes for protection. Ironically, they imagine that God is working at the edge of the universe and cannot help them in time. In this situation, they believe they may be helping him to keep the world safer. And why not help him?
When “good people” flaunt their moral values and, at the same time, ask someone to help them in a bureaucratic issue in order to take advantage of the system and disregard those who are waiting for their turn – it sounds like being versus seeming, doesn’t it?
In truth, it is not easy for some people to face reality nowadays. In a way, such people are not welcome because they may cause discomfort by sharing their views in a world where appearance is prized.
Some people are afraid of being themselves because they might fall victim to their own sincerity, while others feel comfortable performing within this unreality. As a defence mechanism, some choose to align themselves with the more aggressive individuals, even if it means sharing in their foolishness.
There are those who seem completely different from everyone else. They don’t belong to any group, nor do they want to fight and risk being hurt in the streets. Nevertheless, they want to be themselves, and this behaviour can be a strategy for survival in a divided world. Perhaps it is difficult to truly “be” in a world of appearances.
The conflict between being and seeming nowadays causes turbulence in people’s behaviour. For some, staying true to themselves is an act of courage, because it is hard to be who they are; for others, it is an opportunity to reveal their true personality.
Being and seeming are like conjoined twins, and they lose their meaning if we try to separate them. This situation keeps those who do not live by appearances alert, as they try to distinguish reality from illusion and their true selves.
Perhaps even this text may seem to be one thing when, in fact, it is something completely different.