(Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies

Out of all the movies out there on behavioral science this has to be the best.

This movie covers the topic of dishonesty/lies which all of us can relate to and does so in a fashion that makes us think.

It covers various aspects under which we lie and circumstances that causes us to lie and explains in detail what caused us to make a dis honest decision.

Usually such movies have little entertainment factor but this movie is thoughtful and will make you giggle while giving you insightful information.A must watch !!

From ticket-fixing in our police departments to test-score scandals in our schools, from our elected leaders' extra-marital affairs to financial schemes undermining our economy, dishonesty seems to be a ubiquitous part of the news.

By no means was I surprised by anything in this film. Lying is everywhere, and in many ways encouraged by society. Even when not encouraged outright, a small lie or an exaggeration that has little chance of being caught is something perhaps worth the gamble if you have something to gain. Is it moral? In some cases, is it legal? Despite nothing really new here, I loved the host and his sense of humor. He made the material entertaining and presented some studies that show us that the majority of people are dishonest... but within certain parameters. Perhaps the funniest part is when he explains the gender differences.

I once had a heated online discussion with someone after I confessed to occasionally downloading a track on to my I-pod or watching a film on pirate websites "What's the difference between that and stealing out of a shop ?" I was asked

"Honest question so I'll give you an honest answer" I replied "I don't consider watching a film on a pirate website as stealing where as if I popped in to a supermarket ad stole a bottle of booze that is undoubtedly theft" . I was then told that not only was it still theft watching films and listening to music without paying for it but I supposedly knew it was theft even though I wasn't going to admit it . Hmmmm

Everyone can make up their own mind but again watching something on say youtube is not actually the same as going in to a store and stealing a copy of the DVD . It's certainly not the same as being a burglar , a carjacker , a bank robber or the common garden variety sneaky , sticky fingered thief . This documentary directed by Yael Melamede does explain why dishonesty can be self justified

Prof Dan Ariely is a scientist specialising in human behaviour . He conducted something called the matrix experiment where test subjects are paid to answer questions - the more questions they answer correctly the more money they get paid . They've to check their own answers and put their papers in a shredder without the assessor seeing it . The thing is the "shredder" isn't a shredder at all and the scientists retrieve the papers and see how honest /dishonest people have been . And there's similar types of experiments carried out intercut with people who have committed dishonest acts such as insider dealing or infidelity

One fascinating justification people use isn't so much as "It isn't really cheating" but more along the lines of "Everyone else does it so let me off" . Perhaps even more interestingly the idea of getting caught is of little deterrence because the self justification seems to negate any potential punishment . An interesting documentary on human nature