Skip to main content
Police Registration & Services Board Victoria - logo
  • Registration 

    Registration

    • Apply for registration

      Apply for registration

      How to apply

    • Nominate a rank

      Nominate a rank

      How to match capabilities with rank

    • Re-employment

      Re-employment

      Process for re-employment

    • Success stories

      Success stories

      Read the stories of successful career mobility

    I want to...

    • Apply for registration
    • Nominate a rank
    • Read the Guide to Registration Application and Assessment
    • See careers and capabilities report
  • Appeals 

    Appeals

    • Lodging an appeal

      Lodging an appeal

      How to lodge an appeal

    • Appeal tips and traps

      Appeal tips and traps

      How should I prepare for the hearing?

    • After lodgement

      After lodgement

      What happens next

    • Qualities of Leaders

      Qualities of Leaders

      Victoria Police Values

    • About the hearing

      About the hearing

      What happens during the hearing

    • After the hearing

      After the hearing

      Next steps

    • Preparing for an appeal

      Preparing for an appeal

      What will happen during the hearing

    • Appeal hearing list

      Appeal hearing list

      Public hearings

    I want to...

    • Lodge an appeal
    • Read the PRSB Practice Direction
    • Read the Guide to Transfer and Promotion Appeals
    • Look up the hearing list
    • Read the Appeals User Survey Report
    • Contact PRSB secretary
  • Reviews 

    Reviews

    • Decisions open to review

      Decisions open to review

      All categories of decisions that can be reviewed

    • Enterprise Agreement Disputes

      Enterprise Agreement Disputes

      Information about Enterprise Agreement Disputes

    • Apply for a review

      Apply for a review

      Forms

    • Review decisions

      Review decisions

      Published since 2014

    • Review hearing list

      Review hearing list

      Schedule of hearings

    I want to...

    • See decisions open to review
    • Read the Practice Note: Reviews
    • Search previous review decisions
    • Apply for a review
  • Professional Standards 

    Professional Standards

    • Community of Practice for Ethics Education

      Community of Practice for Ethics Education

      Find out what we do and how to get involved

    • Ethics Readings and Resources

      Ethics Readings and Resources

      To inform and inspire

    • Police professionalisation

      Police professionalisation

      Supporting police professionalisation

    • Ethics Conversations

      Ethics Conversations

      Learn directly from experts in ethics

    I want to...

    • Learn about the Community of Practice for Ethics Education
    • Read about professionalisation
  • Resources
  1. Home
  2. Rationalisations – The Enemy of Integrity: Twelve Common Rationalisations and Excuses to Avoid

Rationalisations – The Enemy of Integrity: Twelve Common Rationalisations and Excuses to Avoid

Rationalisations are the most potent enemy to integrity. They work like an anaesthetic to our consciences allowing us to avoid the pain of guilt when we don’t live up to our values. We want to think well of ourselves so much that we develop strategies to convince ourselves that we are better than we actually are.

Rationalisations are fabricated false justifications we make to ourselves and others when we want to do or have done something we know we shouldn’t. We go to all the trouble to make up these stories because we care what others think of us and, more important, we want to think well of ourselves.
000-Rationalization[1].jpg

This article explores the difference between rationalisation and rational decisions and provides a "dirty dozen" of the most common rationalisations.

Rationalizations – The Enemy of Integrity: Twelve Common Rationalizations and Excuses to Avoid | Exemplary Business Ethics & Leadership (josephsononbusinessethics.com) (External link)

About PRSB

  • Services
  • Meet PRSB Members
  • Annual Report
  • Get in Touch

Who PRSB works with

Victoria Police (External link)
Victoria Police Careers (External link)
Department of Justice & Regulation Victoria (External link)
The Police Association Victoria (External link)

Contact PRSB

Level 6, 155 Queen Street

MELBOURNE Victoria 3000

Phone  (03) 8602 7515

PRSB.Enquiries@prsb.vic.gov.au (External link)

Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm (excluding public holidays)

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander flagsThe department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.

Footer

  • Disclaimer
  • Copyright
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Sitemap
  • Feedback
Reviewed 28/10/2022 © 2023 State of Victoria, Australia
State Government of Victoria - logo