Decide once that you don’t cheat, don’t lie, don’t ghost. Then you never have to debate it again.

A rule settled in advance removes the argument you would otherwise have in the worst possible moment. Deciding case by case sounds open-minded, but it means negotiating with yourself while tired, embarrassed or cornered, which is when your reasoning is least reliable. Standing rules are cheaper than willpower because they spend nothing at the moment of pressure.

Name two or three things you simply do not do, in plain words, and say them out loud once. When a situation tests one, you are reporting a decision rather than making one.