A friend recently recounted something that happened at his previous job.  His team was going into a high-stakes meeting with a potential client.  The team leader called them together, reviewed important details, and then closed with this bit of wisdom:

“Remember, we did not get to where we are as a company by telling the truth.”

The message was clear: say whatever it takes to make the sale.  If the product — in this case a massive software package — can’t actually do what we lead the client to expect, we’ll adjust it later–or try to.  Just make the sale.  My friend immediately began looking for another job.

This article addresses the epidemic of cheating that is running rampant in our society, and some of the underlying causes that are built into our system.