Neuroscientists show how tiny fibs snowball into big lies

A little dishonesty goes a long way. Scientists who studied the brain activity of people who told small lies to benefit themselves found that these fibs appeared to pave the way to telling whoppers later. The findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, demonstrate how self-serving lies can escalate and offer a window into the processes in the brain at work. It's commonly held wisdom that small transgressions often lead to bigger and bigger ones, study coauthor Tali Sharot of University College London said in a news briefing. "Whether it's evading tax, infidelity, doping in sports, making up data in science, or financial fraud, deceivers often recall how small acts of dishonesty snowballed over time and they suddenly found themselves committing quite large crimes," Sharot said.