The Perversion of True Righteousness
Deceit manifests itself as a perversion of true righteousness by replacing the genuine pursuit of truth with falsehood and self-justification. It distorts the spiritual nature when the mind, instead of seeking real good, falls under the influence of allure: a person justifies their own shortcomings by resorting to ambiguous words, deceitful oaths, concealment of the heart, and excessive self-importance. Such hypocritical justification distorts the very essence of spiritual existence, for true righteousness—as the reflection of the primordial image—is replaced by a false semblance incapable of doing good.Supporting citation(s):"Deceit is the perversion of righteousness, an ensnared mind, a false justification of oneself with good intentions, oaths, subjected to torment, ambiguous words, concealment of the heart, an abyss of flattery, a knack for lying turned into self-conceit, the enemy of humility, a mask of repentance, the avoidance of weeping, hostility toward confession, obstinacy in one’s opinion, the cause of falls, an obstruction to rising from a fall, a treacherous smile in denunciations, reckless lamenting, and feigned reverence; in short, it is a devilish way of life." (source: link txt)"Since all human nature, existing in Adam, became disordered through [the fall] and was thus warped by shallow concerns for the matters of one’s innermost being—and when there is no correction through repentance and true liberation [from evil], error multiplies twofold and threefold, consequently directing the human soul towards the royal throne as if drawn to it like a traitorous progeny [of measures]. Therefore, as truth is the image of the true, so falsehood is a perversion of that image, serving as a likeness of the incapacity to do good even among those resembling divinity." (source: link txt)