Dishonesty seems to be rampant and ubiquitous. We read about police department ticket fixing, students at elite schools plagiarizing, elected leaders having extra-marital affairs, top athletes doping, and major financial institutions creating schemes that destabilize the global economy. We even read about dishonesty about the headlines themselves, with accomplished journalists fabricating stories that can have major personal and political consequences.
But the truth is that beneath the surface of the scandalous headlines, cheating is not just happening on a newsworthy scale, it’s happening in small ways everywhere. Inspired by and with the help of Dan Ariely, bestselling author and the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, "The Honest Truth Project" examines our relationship with dishonesty. The project aims to investigate the issue through three interlinked initiatives.
1. "A Slippery Slope" - a documentary feature film
The film will explore these questions through a broad range of interwoven material about dishonesty. The film relies heavily on individual stories, shared through personal interviews. Additional materials also include filmed behavioral experiments, expert opinions including Ariely's, and archival footage.
2. "The Truth Box" - a modern confessional booth
The Truth Box is a video booth where people record on camera the truth about a lie they have told. It allows the opportunity for individuals to connect personally with the project.
3. "The Honest Truth" - a website
The website provides an online space for the sharing, collecting and preservation of all the interviews from the project. It is also a crucial public forum for debate, discussion and exchange around dishonesty.
This project hopes to educate, entertain and serve as a thought provoking catalyst for a broad discussion around dishonesty that can pave a road to greater ethical awareness and behavior.
