1) The concept of total "free will" is nothing more than feel-good nonsense. 

2) Blank slatism is utter jive. 

3) Success in the social arena is almost entirely predicated on honing the two following foundational skills: [b]your capacity to be fake [/b][i]and[/i] [b]your ability to promptly register, immediately identify, and intuitively react to [u]the many subtle social cues that people give off when they're conversing with one another[/u][/b].

Master those two techniques and you'll be swimming in job promotions and useful associates in no time at all. 

Machiavellian as all hell, but ask yourself this: is pulling the right strings and feeding the right egos to get something that you want or need [i]really[/i] a sin worthy of condemnation or vilification? 

Is it a sin at all?