Thurs., 6/7/12: The Honest Truth About Dishonesty

The Honest Truth About Dishonesty
We’re talking about what makes us lie, and what keeps us honest. We’ve seen a Yahoo executive forced to resign for padding his resume. Closer to home, a New Hampshire legislator has stepped step down for fudging his way into a law degree. But, it’s not just politicians and high rolling CEOs who spin the truth. We’re all guilty- from cheating on diets, to cheating on the ones we love.

In his new book, The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, behavioral economist Dan Ariely looks at our capacity for both honesty and dishonesty. He finds that dishonesty can be contagious. It can also be short-circuited. A minor white lie might not seem like a big deal, but Ariely says we need to discourage these daily dips into dishonesty. This bad behavior affects us all. And these seemingly small transgressions can pave the way to larger ones.

When is it ok to lie? Does our society reinforce lying? How do you feel when you lie? How do you feel when you are lied to? Leave a comment on our Facebook page, or Tweet us: @CallieCrossley. 

GUEST:
  Dan Ariely, James B. Duke professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, author of The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves