Why We Lie

In a survey given to Air Force Officers and NCOs in 1980-1981, nearly 77 percent of respondents reported they felt pressured during their Air Force career to compromise their integrity in a job-related situation. Since that time, the United States Air Force has instituted Air Force Core Values. To determine if this set of professional ethics has had the desired effect, this research included a follow-up survey given to Air Force officers attending Air Command and Staff College. This survey revealed that 78% of 2007 respondents have been pressured to compromise their integrity. Not much has changed. The Air Force Core Values are a set of professional ethics designed to move the Air Force out of the Vietnam Era of deceit and disregard for orders into an organization of ethical maturity. While today's dishonesty and disrespect for authority is less overt, it still exists. In fact, due to its hidden nature, it is often no longer recognized as a violation of ethical behavior.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.