Jacob took his mother's advice and tricked his blind father into blessing him; this was the only realistic course of action. Even so, for the rest of Jacob's life, at every critical turn, trickery will doggedly follow him. He is tricked into marrying the older sister of the woman he loves and his sons trick him into thinking his beloved Joseph is dead. These foundational stories show us that life is full of difficult decisions and sometimes the best course of action can still bring much hardship and suffering in its trail.