Pedro was told about someone claiming to be a writer on the basis of a yet to be published book. The accuser argued that the person was pretending to be a prolific writer when he had no original writing to show other than passing off copied work as his own. He accused the pretender of being a fraud.
Pedro calmly replied, ‘Let the book come out. If it is not original, we will know whether he is pretender or fraud.’ His friend was confused, ‘what is the difference?’ Pedro replied, ‘None really!’
As nouns the difference is that pretender is a person who professes beliefs and opinions that they do not hold while fraud is any act of deception carried out for the purpose of unfair, undeserved and/or unlawful gain. Hence every pretender is easily a fraud and vice versa.
There are so many who pretend to be writers, orators, trainers, journalists, historians, performers & even professionals who pretend that they are experienced and competent. They lay claim to what they have lifted from others without giving any credit. They bask in fake glory.
But the biggest fraud that a pretender plays is on himself. He either deludes himself or lives with the burden that you do not deserve what you have grabbed. Either way it is a bad thing. We must choose to align with integrity rather than false claims. For pretence or fraud is just a mask that will slip one day.
The fraud is on me too, when I pretend…
Success is shaky when integrity is bent!
- Pravin K Sabnis
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