Overcoming Bias

Share this post

Moral Overconfidence

www.overcomingbias.com

Moral Overconfidence

Robin Hanson
Nov 25, 2006
Share this post

Moral Overconfidence

www.overcomingbias.com
13
Share

A Washington Post article from from last Saturday says:

In the 2006 survey of more than 36,000 high school students, 60 percent said they cheated on a test, 82 percent said they lied to their parents about something significant and 28 percent said they stole something from a store. … 92 percent said they were "satisfied with my own ethics and character." About 74 percent said that "when it comes to doing right, I am better than most people I know." … the percentage of students who lie, cheat or steal could be higher than the survey found.   When asked, 27 percent of the students admitted that they lied on at least one survey question.

It is hard to see how 3/4 of people could be better than most people they know about anything; moral overconfidence is a far more plausible explanation.

On a similar topic, a clever set of experiments, described in "Exploiting Moral Wiggle Room" (and discussed at Marginal Revolution) shows that people act to appear fair, but are less fair when given even feeble excuses for their unfair behavior.

Are you willing to admit that you are about as moral as most people you know?  I am. 

Share this post

Moral Overconfidence

www.overcomingbias.com
13
Share
13 Comments
Share this discussion

Moral Overconfidence

www.overcomingbias.com
Overcoming Bias Commenter
May 15

Perhaps, many of the surveyed high school students beleive that most people have low moral values? Perhaps it is not that they are over-confident but are lacking confidence in their fellow members of society.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
Overcoming Bias Commenter
May 15

Ups! Sorry.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
11 more comments...
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Robin Hanson
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing