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What's Your Honesty Quotient?
Being honest is like being pregnant; either you are or you aren't.
But one study has discovered that a high percentage of Americans believe in situational ethics.
In other words, they view some crimes more negatively than others, and seem willing to commit crimes if they have the assurance they won't get caught.
While we wouldn't equate murder with jaywalking, it is troubling that many citizens find that committing some crimes is okay, especially crimes that cost all of us tons of money.
These crimes are wide ranging--from stealing cable television to running tollbooths to committing insurance fraud.
To better understand how insurance fraud compares to other indiscretions, Progressive Insurance conducted a telephone survey of more than 31,000 Americans.
The survey asked respondents not only how likely they would be to commit a variety of crimes if they knew they would not be caught, but also whether they would report someone they knew who had committed fraud.
The results indicate that while most respondents say they are honest, a large percentage are willing to cheat and commit crimes that cost the rest of us far more money than we probably realize.
According to the survey, nine percent of all respondents--that's nearly one in every 10 of us--said they would commit insurance fraud if they knew they would not be caught.
With that as part of the American mindset, it is no wonder the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) estimates that all Americans pay $200 to $300 in increased insurance premiums each year just to cover the cost of insurance fraud.
And it's not only insurance fraud that respondents admitted being willing to commit. The survey also found that 13 percent of respondents admit they would steal cable television.
Another 13 percent would inflate accomplishments on a resume.
Some 12 percent would park in a space designated for a handicapped driver, and nine percent would drive through a tollbooth without paying.
Finally, seven percent would take tax deductions they weren't entitled to.
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