This chapter in Predictably Irrational considers why people choose to be dishonest. Ariely did experiments with college students by giving them exams in which they might be tempted to cheat. What Ariely discovered was that while everyone basically values honesty over dishonesty, people still behave dishonestly at least occasionally. Why? Ariely says it's because our "internal honesty monitor" is only active when we contemplate "big transgressions." If I were to consider stealing a whole box of pens from my work place, I would probably experience enough consciencious guilt over the action to prevent me from going through with it. But, when it comes to taking one pen, or maybe even two, most people would never even consider how those actions reflect on their overall character. It's because we tend to think of issues of honesty, goodness, righteousness, character, integrity on a macro-level (the big sins), but the small incidents of dishonesty like stealing one pen don't even make it on to our moral radar screen (even though the combined employee theft in America costs the national business force $600 Billion).
But here's what was interesting. He did those same experiments with college students where they would be tempted to cheat on a test, but with one group of students, he first asked them to write down as many of the "10 Commandments" as they could remember. hardly any of the students could write more than a few of the commandments. But here was the result. When the students were forced to grapple with moral benchmarks and major ethical truths, none of those students cheated on their exams. . . none of them! Just by getting a person to think about the concept of solid ethical standards, people are more likely to be honest.
So here are a couple of things I've been thinking about with regard to this chapter. First, it's cool to have Ariely put to words what Evangelicals have had such a difficult time understanding about the secular world: people simply do not think of themselves as dishonest people. Unless they stole a car, or killed someone, people will more than likely sweep the small stuff under the rug without a second thought. How do we convince them that that stuff is important? Should we convince them that that stuff is important? Here's a second interesting point (and/or question) . . . I for one have never been the kind of guy who's tried to get the 10 commandments posted in every public school and court house, but this experiment does make you stop and wonder if we have done students a moral disservice by removing ethical benchmarks on which they can contemplate in their daily scholastic lives-- maybe at least an oath of some sort. You can also see why memorization of Scripture is important, and should be exercised more by Christians. I know I don't do that enough.
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