The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 03 May 2013 04:56 PM PDT The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone – Especially Ourselves HAVE you ever lied on your CV? Yeah, right. Sure you haven't. How about fudging the truth a bit? Was that an affirmative you just mumbled? Well, don't beat yourself up about it. According to Dan Ariely, a behavioural economist and popular psychologist, and the bestselling author of The Upside of Irrationality and Predictably Irrational, we – generally speaking – all lie sometimes. And some of us lie all the time. What is worse, and no big surprise to any urban professional in Malaysia, is that the job-hunting game provides fertile ground for duplicity on both sides. In his latest book, Ariely examines the contradictory forces that both compel us to be dishonest and restrain us from lying. From cheating-by-smartphone in schools to political leaders who take liberties with the truth, to the commercial shenanigans that hurt the poorest in society, cheating, lying, and compromising the truth in other ways, are inescapable components of the human condition. Drawing on his own empirical research, and penned in the breezy accessible style of Malcolm Gladwell's What The Dog Saw and Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Ariely reveals, with remarkable candor, what knocks us off the true and straight road of honesty. If you've ever wondered why corporate culture is so slimy and dishonest, you'll find thought-provoking answers here. Indeed, some of the most engrossing parts of this book are those that reveal examples Big Business' enabling of mendacity. There are also lucid and well-signposted answers to the following: Why do some people lie even when they don't need to? Do the odds of getting caught affect how likely we are to lie or cheat? And what is the role religious faith plays in keeping us on the straight and narrow? One would assume that lying, like most other rational decisions, is based on a rational cost-benefit analysis. Ariely refutes this, and then demonstrates that it's actually the irrational forces – those we don't take into account – that, more often than not, determine our ethical conduct. Ariely does this by pointing out the limitations of the traditional "Simple Model of Rational Crime", and by reintroducing the "fudge factor" from his previous book. In addition to addressing dishonesty in the workplace, Ariely looks at its impact on schools, relationships, and society at large. The effectiveness – and otherwise – of institutional and cultural safeguards against dishonesty are also explored. What else will you find here? Why some things are easier to lie about than others. Whether or not we're better off lying collaboratively. Discourse concerning the "slippery slope" – longer-term impact of an initial transgression. The art of self-deception and the "storytelling" abilities used to rationalise them. And much more. The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty comprises ten illuminating chapters on how unethical behaviour works in our professional, personal, and political worlds, and how it impacts us, even those souls who, in this hard-boiled nation of round-the-clock business, consider ourselves as having lofty moral standards. Lucy Windsor, a London-based life coach and HR consultant supports the concurs with Ariely's take on the unfortunate malleability of "the truth". She's worked with professionals on every rung of the corporate ladder. "Each experience is a venture into the unknown. That said, there are patterns of behaviour that have become apparent to me over a decade and a half of working in this field. One such pattern that manifests itself in several ways is the "lie" and the lie is this: "If I am myself, I will be found lacking and I will fail". The element of self-doubt cannot be overestimated. "The tendency therefore is to put on a 'professional' mask, in the hope this will protect them from being vulnerable and give them credibility – this is particularly noticeable, when individuals are under the pressure of a recruitment or development process, or other high-pressure tasks such as giving a presentation," Windsor explains. The problem with the "professional" mask, is that it is a bit like taking drugs – it provides a false feeling of confidence, but at the same time, strips us of the ability to properly connect with those around you. Windsor adds: "When we don the 'professional mask', we go through the motions of asking questions, but without really listening to the answers, because we have already made up our minds." In others words, there is much more than an ethical dimension to be considered – we truly are hard-wired in modern-working society to – to put it charitably – "fake it". It's almost a survival instinct in the primeval jungle of the 21st century office. However, all is not lost for us perennially fibbing mortals. Ariely also identifies what keeps us honest, and lights up paths for us to attain higher ethical standards. And these incur less risk than we might fear, by actually not bending truth. Honesty is the best policy, as the old adage goes. Ariely writes persuasively why this is so, and on many levels. An outstanding follow-up to 2010's The Upside of Irrationality and Predictably Irrational. |
| Great historical minds on the importance of being truthful, or not Posted: 03 May 2013 04:54 PM PDT "ONE per cent of people will always be honest and never steal," the locksmith said. "Another one per cent will always be dishonest and always try to pick your lock and steal your television. And the rest will be honest as long as the conditions are right – but if they are tempted enough, they'll be dishonest too. Locks won't protect you from the thieves, who can get in your house if they really want to. They will only protect you from the mostly honest people who might be tempted to try your door if it had no lock." – Dan Ariely, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone – Especially Ourselves Time will inevitably uncover dishonesty and lies; history has no place for them. – The late King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." – Plato "It is not only by dint of lying to others, but also of lying to ourselves, that we cease to notice that we are lying." – Marcel Proust, Sodom and Gomorrah "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." – Mark Twain "I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you." – Friedrich Nietzsche "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible." – J.D. Salinger, The Catcher In The Rye "I always tell the truth. Even when I lie." – Al Pacino "I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me." – Susan Eloise, The Outsiders Clay is moulded to make a vessel, but the utility of the vessel lies in the space where there is nothing. Thus, taking advantage of what is, we recognise the utility of what is not. – Lao Tzu |
| Posted: 03 May 2013 04:53 PM PDT Creative Intelligence: Harnessing the power to create, connect and inspire WITH conventional methods of dealing with problems being outmoded, the author shows how creative intelligence, or CQ, is a practical antidote to uncertainty and complexity. He investigates how nations, organisations and people are learning to be more creative, and how they enhance their CQ. He has lots of examples about how work is being done today and writes about the rules and need to change some of those rules. Some of his ideas may be rather radical and may appeal to a certain audience, though. Midnight Lunch: The 4 phases of team collaboration success LEADERS need to know how to design teams for maximum innovation impact, "rewire" their organisational culture to create growth, and hire collaborative employees that will thrive in an innovation-driven environment. The author considers building a team from diverse disciplines, the importance of dialogue and experimentation, reskilling team members and the need for collaboration. How to Close a Deal like Warren Buffet: Lessons from the world's greatest dealmaker DEALMAKERS themselves, the authors study the world's greatest dealmaker. Here's a sampling of what's in store for this hands-on guide. Choose quality. Think long-term – the holding period is "forever". Think for yourself because you cannot afford to be someone else. Be honest, be honest and be honest. |
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