Emperors With No Clothes

Do the emperors know they have no clothes? and is it worse to know you are naked and lead others to believe you aren't, or worse to manage even to deceive yourself?
Perhaps it depends on why you feel you need the deceit; and perhaps on whether you really do (need it).
We aren't allowed to judge as HR 'educators': we are only asked to understand. So even if they didn't seem to us to need the deceit - they clearly 'did'. Otherwise they wouldn't have deceived (being good and honourable human beings).
I want to be told if I am looking naked (or ever looking like an emperor)