People rationalize stealing by applying double standards that dull the conscience. We judge the rich and poor differently, so a child justifies taking a toy from a better-off playmate because he has many and will not miss one, and juries award excessive damages against corporations or insurers because they can afford it. We also separate public from personal property, treating theft from the government or a company as different from robbing a neighbor, as the landlord who never stole from his friends did. The story of four men fighting over a lunch bill, each exploiting a tax bracket, expense account, or government contract, makes the same point. The reasoning is fallacious, because what is stolen from corporations or government is ultimately repaid through higher prices and taxes, since their pockets are not deep enough to absorb many small losses. Another double standard excuses small thefts as of no account. Parents who lie about a child's age to save a few cents on a ticket introduce children to stealing, and thieves rarely begin big but work up from small thefts. Shifting blame to "they," or to management's expectations, is likewise rationalization. God allows no such distinctions: "You shall not steal. Never. In any way. From any one." Scrupulous honesty alone keeps the conscience sharp and builds integrity.