> I also think there is a big gap between what most people advise and what they ultimately do that biases toward the right thing. That is, people indicate they will not be moral in order to dissuade others who might try to exploit it, but in the end they generally behave morally.

That is very interesting. Have you seen any research on it?

> while repeatedly leaving myself open to being taken advantage of. It almost never happens, and you learn to identify those who will.

My thinking: There is no perfectly safe solution. People who think I'm taking naive risks don't get such great results themselves. I think being 'open' is generally safer - humans generally follow the lead of those around them, and I get better responses.

> you learn to identify those who will.

Yes, it cannot be overstated: Being honest, you develop expertise in the skills of executing honestly, and as with any skill that expertise enables you to evaluate those skills in others. Do otherwise, you acquire other skills.