This is also - disturbingly - how the human brain operates.
1. Some subconscious process makes a cynical decision about what course of action is most beneficial for you.
2. Another part, known as the "Press Secretary" comes up with a good sounding motivation for why this is the morally right thing to do.
3. You now genuinely believe you're doing the right thing, and can execute your cynical plan, full of righteous zeal!
I'm as autism-brained as anyone, and would probably prefer brutal honesty in all communications, but I also think you have to accept that well functioning human organizations don't operate like that, and if you want to be part of such organizations it's best for everyone to accept how they work.
This is not entirely true. Daniel Kahneman wrote about it if you want a source. Humans generally have two ways of thinking: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is fast, heuristic-based, and not always accurate. Arguably, that's why things like racism and bigotry take hold. Type 2 is slow, analytical, and what lets us do things like send men to the Moon or write large software applications.
The trouble is that you have to consciously shift to Type 2 thinking, it takes longer, and it's tiring. Dave Snowden of Cynefin fame has a great bit (paraphrasing here) about the purely Type 2 thinker in ancient days on the African savannah getting eaten by a lion. Because he or she sits there doing a complex analysis of "OK, felid, yellow fur, moving towards me, etc. etc." while the Type 1 thinker goes "Oh shit! Lion!" and runs away.
Type 1 thinking has a role. You just have to be mindful about when you're misusing it.
1. Some subconscious process makes a cynical decision about what course of action is most beneficial for you.
2. Another part, known as the "Press Secretary" comes up with a good sounding motivation for why this is the morally right thing to do.
3. You now genuinely believe you're doing the right thing, and can execute your cynical plan, full of righteous zeal!
I'm as autism-brained as anyone, and would probably prefer brutal honesty in all communications, but I also think you have to accept that well functioning human organizations don't operate like that, and if you want to be part of such organizations it's best for everyone to accept how they work.