When Do Exaggerations and Misstatements Cross the Line?

Embellishing stories about one’s accomplishments or qualifications whether by exaggeration or misstatement is part of human nature experts say and almost everyone is guilty of it at one time or another. Left unchecked however exaggerations that seemed innocuous at first can result in serious potentially career-ending consequences. Thanks to the Internet it’s easier than ever to get caught in an exaggeration Wharton experts and others note. But the temptation to embellish has also never been greater as recession-weary workers feel pressured to justify their worth and a 24-hour news cycle demands that leaders have an immediate sound-bite-ready answer for everything.