Lying and cheating: Why we do it

[RDF]

Interesting article on the subject of petty cheating. An excerpt:

Everybody has the capacity to be dishonest, and almost everybody cheats—just by a little. Except for a few outliers at the top and bottom, the behavior of almost everyone is driven by two opposing motivations. On the one hand, we want to benefit from cheating and get as much money and glory as possible; on the other hand, we want to view ourselves as honest, honorable people. Sadly, it is this kind of small-scale mass cheating, not the high-profile cases, that is most corrosive to society.

From “Why We Lie,” by Dan Ariely

Find the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...7422090013997320.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

 

[Orangey]

In before the inevitable "well, I wouldn't have cheated" comments.

 

[Mole]

All above average

Our first lie is a mile-stone in our development. We are not fully human until we learn to lie, yet how proud our parents are of our first word; how proud they are of our first steps; but no parent boasts of our first lie.

And yet our first lie lays the foundation for the suspension of disbelief in art and religion. Lying is the very basis of our culture. We pay vast sums of money to those who entertain us with lies in art, movies, TV and religion.

But most of all, we want lies we can believe. We want, we demand, our disbelief be suspended by professional entertainers and clergy.

Of course we want lies we can believe, but we also want beautiful lies such as the lies we tell in Lake Wobegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.

 

[BlackCat]

To get ahead and take short cuts in one way or another....

 

[VagrantFarce]

So we don't have to face the truth.

 

[Betty Blue]

Well it's vast and there are always exceptions and every situation is different BUT i do think for the most part lying and cheating is for the weak of heart and mind.
It takes strength to be honest and true.