Page 82 - The Irony Board
P. 82
Into the World
Faking it
Learning the ropes
Tricks you into
Climbing to the top
And disappearing.
The title initially refers to the “Hindu fakir” of Anglo-Indian
folklore, who first throws a rope into the air (where it remains
suspended), then sends a small boy scurrying up to the top
(whereupon he vanishes); if such a rope trick ever had been
performed, it would have been accomplished by mass hypnotism.
But the phrase “faking it” also implies deceit in performing one’s
job; now “learning the ropes” and “climbing to the top” take on
idiomatic connotations. Those who profess commercial values in
order to scale the corporate ladder will lose something of themselves
by the time they have attained their goal; the trick is easily played on
those who are hypnotized by magical visions of success.
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