What question did this study set out to answer?

This work seeks to resolve the contradiction between perceived moral actions and individual character by illustrating the fluidity of character.

May 30, 2026

Out of Character: Surprising Truths About the Liar, Cheat, Sinner (and Saint) Lurking in All of Us (2011). New York, NY: Crown Architype, by David DeSteno and Piercarlo Valdesolo

Key Points

This work seeks to resolve the contradiction between perceived moral actions and individual character by illustrating the fluidity of character.
Review of multiple psychological studies demonstrating the manipulation of contextual variables and their impact on character.
Analysis of scenarios prompting self-reflection about moral choices, linking outcomes to emotional states and situational influences.
Engagement with literary allegory and storytelling to present research findings in an accessible manner.
Demonstrates that character is not a static trait but can be shaped by situational conditions and emotional factors.
Findings indicate that morality is elastic, affected by context and self-deception, allowing for contradictory behaviors.
Highlights the importance of recognizing biases to improve decision-making and align actions with moral values.

Abstract

In recent history there has been no shortage of ink spilled over the provocative deeds of politicians and celebrities caught acting outside of their “character.” These meteoric falls from grace beg the question of how a lifetime of good actions and strong character can all be invalidated after a single indiscretion. To further illustrate the paradoxical nature of the commonly held conceptualization of character is the inverse assumption, that a lifetime of transgressions cannot be absolved by a single, fleeting act of morality. In Out of Character, DeSteno and Valdesolo seek to resolve this contradiction, arguing that when a person acts out of character, it is not a freak occurrence, nor a window into a truer nature that they have been hiding. Rather, character is more fluid and flexible than is commonly thought; consequently, the capacity to act out of character is far greater than most realize.Out of Character presents in its entertaining, tongue-in-cheek manner the dichotomies through which sinners and saints are generally understood in our culture, shedding light on how our black-and-white models of virtue obscure the way character actually functions. Character traits such as honesty, chastity, and humility are traditionally considered separate and distinct qualities, rather than as existing on a continuum, much as colors exist along the visible spectrum of light. Contrary to the commonly held assumption that these traits are unchanging, deeply ingrained features of individual personalities, DeSteno and Valdesolo examine character through a multitude of studies demonstrating that a person’s character can be significantly influenced by the systematic manipulation of contextual variables. These studies, which were designed to provoke the best and worst aspects of people in order to better understand the true nature of character, are presented conversationally. This makes it easy for readers to imagine themselves as participants in the studies, with the authors subtly prompting readers to consider what they would do if they were the study subjects. The ambitious goal of Out of Character, explaining why people do what they do even when those actions seem entirely out of a person’s established character, is brilliantly achieved through a balance of literary allegory, storytelling, and rigorous scientific research. DeSteno and Valdesolo demonstrate time and again that the human brain is dynamic, capable of simultaneously holding contradictory beliefs, and willing to employ self-deception so that it can act in a way that can sometimes appear out of character to the outside observer.DeSteno and Valdesolo explode the myth that doing the right thing in a situation is as simple as listening to the proverbial angel and devil on each shoulder. They come to this conclusion by linking multiple studies indicating that morality is elastic and easily influenced by situational conditions, emotional states, and the capacity to rationalize the less desirable aspects of a decision. Using Aesop’s fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper, DeSteno and Valdesolo explore how long-term, selfless motivations are in a constant battle with short-term, selfish desires. By reviewing study after study, the authors drive home that at any time the smallest of factors can tilt the scale to favor either our inner ant or grasshopper, regardless of one’s moral compass. Character, then, is what constantly arises in a contest of short-term desires against long-term needs when varying degrees of external influence interact with these two opposing drives.The breadth of psychological research presented in Out of Character pairs the good news with the bad news: even though we all have the potential to be saints, that same capacity also allows us to be sinners. DeSteno and Valdesolo are not so bold as to claim that they can provide the path to leading a virtuous life, nor do they at any point attempt to prescribe their own morality, making judgments of what is right and wrong. Rather, DeSteno and Valdesolo offer suggestions of how to counteract the unconscious influences on our decision-making processes in order to produce more desirable character-driven outcomes. They caution that neither intuition nor reason produce the most reliable results in every situation, and the ability to recognize our own biases and emotional states produces better decisions in our complex social world. Throughout Out of Character, DeSteno and Valdesolo take great pains to illustrate both sides of moral arguments to demonstrate the power of situational conditions and what variables could influence a person to make a variety of decisions. Because of this objective approach, Out of Character is a precise, research-based examination of character, discussing what influences our behaviors so that readers can gain a greater awareness of their own actions, as well as the skills and strategies necessary to align their actions to their already existing moral compass.

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