Dan Ariely

The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty

Everyone cheats helping himself, but only a bit so they still feel honest.

  • Everyone cheats helping himself, but only a bit so they still feel honest.
  • Cheating doesn’t increase when risk sinks or reward rises.
  • We cheat up to the level of allows us to retain our self-image as reasonably honest individuals.
  • We tend to cheat more when we gain nonmonetary things. Removing steps from money => more cheating.
  • Small moral reminders maintain our ethical standard.
  • When signing let them create their own honor code so they think about it.
  • Favor creates conflict of interest. Helping someone make him to want to help you back
  • If you are depleted or stressed your brain is tired => You will take the gratification and cheat more
  • Fake cloth affects you negatively and you will cheat more
  • Be careful if someone wears counterfeits, because maybe he is dishonest somewhere else.
  • If we wear counterfeits we will think that others cheat more.
  • If you want to pretend to be stronger and better you have to give yourself a pep talk and believe that you are better.
  • We sometimes don’t know why we do what we do, but our left brain creates stories to justify it.
  • Creativity can let us cheat more, because we are more creative in searching justifications.
  • Group Work can increase dishonesty if the group members all profit, but if there are supervisors in the group cheating decreases.
  • The more you know someone the more you look for yourself.
  • Reminders in the moment of temptation, avoid conflict of interest, depletion makes you dishonest, social circle can change your thought of dishonesty