Out of Character by David DeSteno & Piercarlo Valdesolo Summary
Overview of Out of Character
In "Out of Character," DeSteno and Valdesolo shatter our belief in fixed personality traits. Based on experiments with 2,000+ participants, they reveal how saints become sinners and vice versa depending on context. Are you really who you think you are?
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Key takeaways
When Good People Suddenly Aren't
Picture a respected governor, devoted family man, and Eagle Scout who simply vanishes from his post-not for a crisis, but to pursue an affair in Argentina. Mark Sanford's stunning fall from grace forces an uncomfortable question: Was his character always flawed, just hidden? Or is something more unsettling at play? We cling to the comforting belief that character is stable-good people do good things, bad people do bad things. Yet history tells a different story. During World War I's Christmas truce, British and German soldiers exchanged gifts and played soccer, only to resume killing each other days later. The same individuals capable of tender compassion became instruments of violence almost overnight. This isn't about a few broken people-it's about all of us. The potential for both virtue and vice doesn't live in separate people; it lives within each of us, waiting for the right conditions to emerge. We've been telling ourselves the wrong story about character. The classic image-an angel and devil on our shoulders-suggests we simply choose between good and evil. But that's not how our minds actually work. Think instead of Aesop's ant and grasshopper. The grasshopper represents our impulse for immediate pleasure: the dessert when we're trying to lose weight, the affair when we're committed, the shortcut when integrity demands the long road. The ant embodies our capacity for long-term thinking-the voice reminding us that today's pleasure becomes tomorrow's regret. Neither is inherently good or evil. Both served our ancestors well: immediate rewards kept them fed and reproducing, while long-term planning built communities and relationships. The tension between them isn't a bug in our psychology-it's a feature. But here's what makes character so slippery: this internal scale tips constantly based on factors we barely notice. A messy room, a pleasant scent, even how much sleep we got-all these shift the balance without our awareness. When we act "out of character," we haven't revealed our true nature. We've simply tipped the scale.
The Rationalization Machine and Arbitrary Compassion
Love, Lust, and Evolutionary Programming
The Pride Paradox
The Elasticity of Fairness and Gratitude's Power
Environmental Design Over Willpower
Reclaiming Your Character
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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