{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Was It a Mistake or a Bad Choice?","description":"I finished Sam Harris's Free Will last night, 1 hour and 14 minutes on Audible, and it made me look again at how I went from USC and Bear Stearns to lying to FBI agent Paul Bertrand. Harris argues we don't choose our thoughts, our genetics, our parents, or our early experiences. That idea is dangerous in front of a judge. If your narrative suggests it wasn't your fault, the court and your victims will hear it that way. What I took from the book is sequence: a financial problem, the concealment, the concealment working, and each next step getting easier. Michael Santos once asked me whether it was a mistake or a bad choice. Harris says change requires causes. So stop saying you learned your lesson. Show the judge the conditions you've changed (restitution, new professional boundaries, community service, a release plan, public writing), and start building them long before sentencing. ","author_name":"White Collar Advice","author_url":"http:\/\/WhiteCollarAdvice.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/43005248\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/43005248"}