We as adults all know that Santa Claus does not exist. It is a fake narrative purposely maintained. We tell ourselves that we participate for the benefit of the target group: the children. There is no harm in that. However, the essence remains: it is an elaborate, deliberate lie, part of an agenda, while the target group is kept unaware.

The precedent is set, the goal justified the means. Government and society can maintain lies to benefit a target group. The question is: would we notice if we are on the receiving end?

Can children look through the deception if the same people they trust and rely on to understand the world around them are the ones that maintain the lie?