Have you ever lied, conned, or cheated?

[StevenM]

That was the title of a discussion I found on the web. It was actually hosted on a national news website. Seeing 289 replies, I was curious to how the public audience on that page viewed the question. Baited, I clicked to read on, maybe subtly expecting to see a discussion on morality or human nature.

Reading through, I realized there were two different flavours of responses. One type being those who adamantly state they would never even think of committing the act. The rest admitted to cheating, but only for such things such as once on their diet, or lied to a friend about looking good.

And after tediously skimming through the same manners of replies, that's all there was. All 289 of them.

Incidentally, the same question arose, (albeit more personally) during a psychological screening process I went through. Answering as yes or no, have I used deception, manipulation or cheated for my own gain in the last 60 days?

The answer was inevitably going to be yes. Then peculiarly, I found myself tempted to redeem myself by describing a forgiveable event, as the second group above had done.

I know someone who falls into the first type. There is a genuine and unshakable conviction held by this person, that they never had used deceit to anyone. Ever.

First, I wonder how the answer in the psychological screening is processed. And is it safe to assume that people are deluding themselves? Can a person (or most people) really live half their life without committing an act of serious deception; at least something more serious than "cheating on my diet"?

The people here are quite different than most in terms of questions like these. What are your opinions or observations? How would you answer the question?

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

Everyone has, it's just apparently half don't remember. Those are the ones we should worry about, the ones who don't remember.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Have you ever lied, conned, or cheated?

Of course. And, naturally, I'm being honest about this right now.

 

[Tannhauser]

Saying that one has never lied is either a lie in itself or an extremely foolish statement. The human mind is made for deceiving even itself.

 

[Hadoblado]

I lied often as a child, lied more as a teenager, then realised the implications of undermining trust with lies and sort of went cold turkey (with conscious lies).

I experiment with it from time to time, and I explore the boundaries between acceptable lying (humour, social grace, omission of information etc.), but all things considered I'm a very honest person. I basically live by the principle that if it's important for someone to know something and they ask directly, an honest answer will be forthcoming. If they have no right to know (they inquire about my sex life, they ask about a third party's business etc.), then I feel fine lying and I make no attempt to hide this overall pattern.

Of course, there are all sorts of grey areas where I'm not entirely honest with myself etc., but I try to be clear about that too.

It's funny, I have a need to be honest with myself, and I have a need to be seen as honest by other people, but I have no need to feel like an honest person in my interactions with other people. I'm honest with other people almost entirely because it's more adaptive than being dishonest (plus habit).

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

yes, yes, and yes. always within the rules of my own moral code which does not always conform to the official one.

 

[Cognisant]

The worst lies are the ones I tell myself.

 

[_intp]

The human mind is made for deceiving even itself.

I love this succinct and simple fact.

 

[Sinny91]

yes, yes, and yes. always within the rules of my own moral code which does not always conform to the official one.

This.

 

[TheManBeyond]

i'm your friend... but i've done very bad things

 

[Sir Eus Lee]

My moral code for honesty is pretty weird. I think the only way that people can learn from others us to accept and embrace their own and others mistakes and experiences, so I will answer an honest question, and I don't see the point in things like gossip. But if a 'white lie' keeps me out of a conversation I know I'll be stuck in, I will take it. I don't necessarily lie even then, I try to be noncommunicative in a way that suggests it really is a lie, but. I don't know, it varies.

One time I stole a girls Santa hat in like 2nd grade because it was fuzzier and my mom had gotten me a cheap and stupid one.

It was like a year later when I ran to my mom in tears with guilt, and confessed.

 

[Minuend]

Only white lies in situations where I don't want people to know about me or my opinions. Or where the truth will just bring about too much hassle from nothing, worthless hassle.

So no, I've never really done anything substantial.

I could if if i found the reason sound, though.

I think some people don't feel like lying or cheating beyond the white lies, no. If you are content with making the normal life with family and work, and are able to achieve this without much difficulty, then there's not necessarily much motivation to cheat

But yes, most (?) people will justify their action in some way, even when hurting other people to a noticeable effect. Quite a few are driven by a need to see themselves as right or just

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I have no qualms about lying to people whom I've ascertained as consistently acting to my or general detriment. Other lies are just protecting private or hidden information I don't want to reveal to prevent others becoming able to act in a harmful way.

One of the more useful misinformation to rely on is pretending to be more ignorant and powerless than in reality, it often exposes many threats before they mature and usually invites hostilities where one can defend, as opposed to playing the best cards as they come.

On the other hand, in more uniform (long term gain, time intensive) environments putting up a tough front is a better strategy, as it's often recognised as a passage right and the 'pyrrhic' price the attacker has to pay.

 

[Architect]

INTP's have Se in the 'Trickster' archtype position according to Beebes model. This means that you'd expect them to have a touch of physical deviancy, and in fact I very frequently observe this. In me it shows up as always having a crude sense of slapstick humor. In other INTP's I've known I've seen kleptomania, juvenile humor and the like. Putting it together Se which can include interactions in the physical world (lying) is likely in INTP's and INFP's due to the Se trickster. INTP's and ISFP's have a touch of the miserly due to this I believe (I certainly always have - I'm not proud of it but I recognize that it is there).

Ultimately this plays a role in INTP's viewing reality as somewhat arbritrary.

 

[Sinny91]

Arhh.

My cousin tested as INTP and she's totally klepto.
Cool.

 

[Yellow]

Yes, yes, and yes. I'm a woman of very loose morals.

Actually, I this reminds me of an article I read earlier. How Creativity Connects with Immorality.

I can rationalize a ton of traditionally immoral behavior, and do all kinds of shady things without a single twinge of guilt. On the other hand, there are a lot of lines I refuse to cross that others would cross without hesitation. It's a very fluid, arbitrary system, but it's my system.

 

[Teax]

I do not lie, I write fiction with my mouth.
I do not con, I strategically achieve the desired outcome.
I do not cheat, I think outside the box and utilize all available resources.
I do not steal, I press Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.