English: Is America Too Forgiving? The Case of Lance Armstrong

Anthropologist and brand consultant Grant McCracken thinks we need a new honor code for public figures—and ourselves.

In The New Honor Code: A Simple Plan for Raising Our Standards and Restoring Our Good Names, McCracken argues that we need to do more to celebrate people such as his neighbor Bob, who receives little recognition despite being central to his community by helping to build Little League fields, volunteering at the local hospital, and being active in his church. "We need more Bobs. As it turns out, there are about five Bobs in my community," says McCracken. "If you created a reputation economy and you found some way of giving people credit for these accomplishments, you might be able to inspire 30 Bobs to behave in this manner. And all boats would rise with that tide."