When we catch others in a lie or an ethical breach, our judgment is swift and unforgiving. We label them as fundamentally flawed or inherently dishonest. But when we commit the exact same transgressions—cutting corners, lying to a client, or betraying a confidence—our memory of the event miraculously softens. Our brains are exceptionally skilled defense attorneys. To protect our core identity as "good people," we unconsciously rewrite the narrative of our own moral failures. We invent exte...