THE BOTTOM LINE is that we should not view a single act of dishonesty as just one petty act. We tend to forgive people for their first offense with the idea that it is just the first time and everyone makes mistakes. And although this may be true, we should also realize that the first act of dishonesty might be particularly important in shaping the way a person looks at himself and his actions from that point on—and because of that, the first dishonest act is the most important one to prevent. That is why it is important to cut down on the number of seemingly innocuous singular acts of dishonesty. If we do, society might become more honest and less corrupt over time.
**
WITH
ALL OF this in mind, how can we fight our own moral deterioration, the
what-the-hell effect, and the potential of one transgressive act to result in
long-term negative effects on our morality? Whether we deal with fashion or other
domains of life, it should be clear that one immoral act can make another more
likely and that immoral acts in one domain can influence our morality in other
domains. That being the case, we should focus on early signs of dishonest
behaviors and do our best to cut them down in their budding stages before they
reach full bloom.
