Do not be deceived: simmering in a strange brew of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arabic and Western cultures, this shiny city is charged with 24-hour energy and multicultural diversity.

BBC: A perfect day in Singapore

Granted, Brooks does note a general preference for high-status mates, a keen sensitivity to evidence of our standing in the various social hierarchies we inhabit, and he does cite some empirical evidence to the effect that successful people tend to be self-deceived about their place in the social pecking order.

FORBES: The Social Animal by David Brooks: A Scornful Review

Negotiators shuttled back and forth from Grand Comore to Anjouan, only to be deceived by Mr Bacar, who, say diplomats, promised compromise while digging in.

ECONOMIST: The African Union gets tough, even if it's not quite Iwo Jima