The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty summary

How do we decide whether or not to cheat or lie in a specific situation?

According to the prevailing notion of cheating, the cheater or liar makes a rational decision based on the following factors:           

As we've seen, people don't necessarily cheat more just because they're given the opportunity.

So, what stops us from cheating as much as possible?

Is it possible for us to reap the rewards of cheating while simultaneously viewing ourselves as honest people? In fact, the answer is a definitive “YES!” – we’re especially creative when it comes to justifying our dishonest behavior.

Let's return briefly to the math test experiment. Initially, participants were put in charge of checking their own test results, which led them to cheat a little: to improve their results, they replaced their wrong answers with the correct ones.

Imagine coming home after a grueling day at work. You're exhausted, grumpy and starving – it's a take-out night, for sure.

Why do we tend to opt for unhealthy fast food after a tiring day?

At some point in our lives, a significant number of us have worn fake designer clothing. However, which of those people would've guessed that this apparently insignificant act of dishonesty could affect them in unexpected, negative ways?

In fact, experimental evidence shows a correlation between wearing fakes and the likelihood of performing other dishonest acts.

So far, we've looked at the self-deception behind an individual's dishonest behavior. But what about the social aspects of cheating? Can dishonesty be transmitted from person to person?

In fact, dishonesty can spread via the process of social contagion, through which similar behavior spreads among individuals.

Now that you’ve learned all about dishonest behavior, how can you use this knowledge to keep such behavior under control?

First, you have to take into account the psychology of cheating. Take, for example, the following situation.

The key message in this book:

Cheating is a widespread phenomenon. Surprisingly, most of the drivers of our dishonesty are not rational ones, as we might expect, but irrational ones. By learning about the psychology of cheating, we enable ourselves to control dishonest behavior, both in ourselves and in others.