Blog #7

   Tenbrunsel, A. E., & Messick, D. M. (2004). Ethical fading. The role of self-deception in unethical behavior. Social Justice Research, 17(2), 223-236.

The notion of self-deception is interesting and something I had never explored prior to reading this article. When I think of self-deception, I define it as lying to oneself until you begin to believe it is true. The topics can vary vastly, but this notion of denial usually leads to poor outcomes. As I examined this article, I found that my own definition was pretty in-line with the experts, but also gained a greater understanding of the background of the term includes the many layers that contribute to the term. I had also not considered the ethical implications that come in to play until reading this article.

What really stood out for me in this article was the section on “The Art of Self-Deception.” I found it fascinating that the question remains unknown as to whether self-deception is “the result of a conscious act or an unconscious process,” (Tenbrunsel, 2004, p. 225). When I read this, I immediately ask myself, how can this be unethical if the person is not even aware of what they are doing? We do learn that there must be an underlying issue that causes a person to lie to themselves, therefore, resulting in an unethical practice. Also, the authors explain how self-deception contributes to unethical decisions. As the article continues, we learn more about the enablers that contribute to poor ethical outcomes. In my mind, I viewed these enablers as triggers. It is essential that a person learn to recognize the problem in order to really deal with and address the situation.