Chapter 12 of Predictably Irrational is entitled "The Context of Our Character Part II." We covered the first part in Chapter 11, which talked about the importance of having ethical benchmarks like the Ten Commandments (the author is Jewish :)). Chapter 12 hones in on people's tendencies to steal, even though everyone knows and would say that it's unconscionable.
Consider this: imagine you had the choice to leave one of two pieces of your property in a public place for 72 hours in hopes that no one would take it. You can either leave an envelope containing $50 in cash, or $50 worth of pop (that means "cokes" if you're one of my Texan friends). Which would you be more comfortable leaving in a public place (e.g., your company's break-room, a bathroom, a train). Well, according to research, a person is way, way more likely to lose his Dr. Pepper than his $50. Does that seem counter-intuitive?
Here's why: according to Ariely "when we look at the world around us, much of the dishonesty we see involves cheating that is one step removed from cash." There's something about actually taking a person's dollar bills or coins that registers in our brain "THAT"S STEALING! THAT"S WRONG!" But when it comes to taking a pop, or a pen, or something else that isn't strict currency, it seems alittle bit easier for most people. Consider the CEOs of Enron. Do you think they ever would've walked up to little old ladies and snatched dollar bills out of their purses? Of course not! But they felt more than comfortable stealing millions of dollars from the pension funds of little old ladies. Why? Our consciences make it easier to take things that are a few steps removed from cold hard cash than stealing the actual cash itself.
I'll give you a personal example. After I graduated College, I lived in Amarillo for a time, and one afternoon I was having a conversation with a co-worker about movie prices. I told her that I still get my student discount to go to movies because I kept my ID card from college and (at the time) I still looked young enough to pass for a college student. I hadn't really thought about the ethical ramifications or the fact that ti might be wrong. Honestly, I figured I was just being clever. But this girl quickly pointed out to me, "but that's lying! You're not a College Student." And she was right. The truth was, i saved myself a few bucks at the time by lying about being a student, and it seemed easy. . . alot easier than simply reaching into the teller's cash register without him looking and stealing the money. I never could have done that! But that's the point. . . there really is no difference. Stealing is stealing. It's worthwhile to think about all that you may be stealing through fudging on insurance claims, tax returns, shared software, etc. that we may have raionalized as OK simply because it wasn't cash. Whether we want to admit it or not, all of that stuff adds up and impacts our nation's economy and society.
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