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    “I read <em>Playboy</em> for the articles”: Justifying and Rationalizing Questionable Preferences
    24 Sep 2009Working Paper Summaries

    “I read Playboy for the articles”: Justifying and Rationalizing Questionable Preferences

    by Zoë Chance and Michael I. Norton
    We want others to find us good, fair, responsible and logical; and we place even more importance on thinking of ourselves this way. Therefore, when people behave in ways that might appear selfish, prejudiced, or perverted, they tend to engage a host of strategies designed to justify questionable behavior with rational excuses: "I hired my son because he's more qualified." "I promoted Ashley because she does a better job than Aisha." Or, "I read Playboy for the articles." In this chapter from a forthcoming book, HBS doctoral student Zoë Chance and professor Michael I. Norton describe various means of coping with one's own questionable behavior: through preemptive actions and concurrent strategies for re-framing uncomfortable situations, forgoing decisions, and forgetting those decisions altogether. Key concepts include:
    • Because people do not want to be perceived as (or feel) unethical or immoral, they make excuses for their shameful behavior—even to themselves.
    • People cope with their own questionable actions in a number of ways, from forgoing certain experiences to rationalizing, justifying, and forgetting—a remarkable range of strategies allowing them to maintain a clear conscience even under dubious circumstances.
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    Author Abstract

    An abstract is unavailable at this time. 23 pages

    Paper Information

    • Full Working Paper Text
    • Working Paper Publication Date: September 2009
    • HBS Working Paper Number: 10-018
    • Faculty Unit(s): Marketing
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    Michael I. Norton
    Michael I. Norton
    Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration
    Unit Head, Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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