The Honest Truth About Dishonesty - How We Lie to Everyone--Especially Ourselves

“A lively tour through the impulses that cause many of us to cheat, the book offers especially keen insights into the ways in which we cut corners while still thinking of ourselves as moral people.”  — Time

Dan Ariely, behavioral economist and New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality, returns with a thought-provoking work that challenges our preconceptions about dishonesty and urges us to take an honest look at ourselves.

Does the chance of getting caught affect how likely we are to cheat?

How do companies pave the way for dishonesty?

Does collaboration make us more or less honest?

Does religion improve our honesty?

Most of us think of ourselves as honest, but, in fact, we all cheat. From Washington to Wall Street, the classroom to the workplace, unethical behavior is everywhere. None of us is immune, whether it's a white lie to head off trouble or padding our expense reports. In The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, award-winning author Dan Ariely shows why some things are easier to lie about than others; how getting caught matters less than we think in whether we cheat; and how business practices pave the way for unethical behavior, both intentionally and unintentionally. Ariely explores how unethical behavior works in the personal, professional, and political worlds, and how it affects all of us, even as we think of ourselves as having high moral standards. But all is not lost. Ariely also identifies what keeps us honest, pointing the way for achieving higher ethics in our everyday lives.

With compelling personal and academic findings, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty will change the way we see ourselves, our actions, and others.

Ariely’s groundbreaking research reveals the hidden forces behind our choices:

The Fudge Factor Theory: Why do we cheat, but only by a little? Ariely's landmark theory explains how we bend the rules just enough to profit from dishonesty while still feeling good about ourselves. Rationalizing Dishonesty: From padding an expense report to telling a white lie, discover the surprising mental gymnastics we use to justify our own unethical behavior. The Power of Moral Reminders: Could simply trying to recall the Ten Commandments stop someone from cheating? Explore the simple triggers that can reactivate our sense of ethics when we need it most. Workplace and Social Influences: Find out how everything from collaborating with coworkers to observing a single dishonest act can dramatically change our own willingness to be dishonest.