Ya, and there is no guarantee it would last either. A competitor might eat their lunch, etc. Also, to be perfectly honest, I imply the issue is with me when I

Ya, and there is no guarantee it would last either. A competitor might eat their lunch, etc. Also, to be perfectly honest, I imply the issue is with me when I decline jobs [e.g. I don't think I am good enough, I do not have the stomach for risk] regardless of the real reason. The last time I did that I asked some friends of mine if I should state what the real reason. The company in question was suing someone for making the same transition they were asking me to make, the hypocrisy of it combined with the fact it'd probably happen to me 5 years down the road when I changed jobs was the real reason I declined. People lie when they decline jobs because they don't want to create a greater negative impression that might be caused by the truth. That is also something I don't think the OP is taking into account. Another job interview apologized that I was not the perfect fit when I never had any intention of taking the job once I had gone in for the interview and heard more about them. The real reason they declined was I think they figured it out during the interview but we both played along until the end and stated different reasons that were as gentler than the reality to avoid a greater negative impression.