Lying

Neuroscientist Sam Harris argues in a long-form essay that people could greatly simplify their lives and improve society just by telling the truth where others tend to lie. Harris holds that most private vice and public evil depend on lies: fraud, corruption in government, betrayals such as adultery, and even genocide and murder usually need a willingness to deceive. He finds the same lesson in literature, citing Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary and Othello. His main target is the white lie, told to spare someone discomfort, because it is the kind that tempts people most and often the only kind good people tell while believing they are doing good.

Vinod Khosla included it in his 2017 book recommendations, calling it one of his favorite reads of about an hour on intellectual honesty and wishing more people were this honest.