[Vocabulary] Shedding pretenses

[meliss]

Hi, could you please explain me the meanning of this word-combination in the phrase:
"Shedding pretenses is normally the first lesson in public relations training".
Thank you!

 

[SoothingDave]

Do you know how a snake sheds its skin?

 

[meliss]

Yes. But I still do not understand my phrase...

 

[emsr2d2]

And do you understand what "pretences" are, particularly when applied to human personality or characteristics?

 

[meliss]

Not sure, there are so many of definitions:
1. The act of pretending; a false appearance or action intended to deceive.
2. A false or studied show; an affectation: a pretense of nonchalance.
3. A professed but feigned reason or excuse; a pretext: under false pretenses.
4. Something imagined or pretended.
5. Mere show without reality; outward appearance.
6. A right asserted with or without foundation; a claim. See Synonyms at claim.
7. The quality or state of being pretentious; ostentation.

 

[emsr2d2]

Definition #5 is the one you need. Does that help you to understand the original sentence?

 

[meliss]

It something like unmask? But in public relations training they rather teach you how to mask...

 

[SoothingDave]

It something like unmask? But in public relations training they rather teach you how to mask...

You are correct. It doesn't make any sense. PR is all about putting on pretenses.

 

[meliss]

The phrase is from the competent "Media ethics" manual...

 

[SoothingDave]

I don't know how "competent" this book is, but the one sentence you have provided, without any other context seems to be contradictory to what we know about PR. Perhaps they explain themselves in the following sentences and chapters.

 

[emsr2d2]

I clicked on the link and used what appeared to be the book's search function to search for both "shedding pretences/pretenses" and "public relations" but it found nothing.
I agree with the others that I assume that people in PR are all about pretence and that pretty much nothing is genuine.