MORAL LICENSING

The recent US election results were surprising to many, including Canadian author and modern day sage, Malcolm Gladwell.

Two days before the election, Gladwell was interviewed by the CBC to give his take on what might happen. As it turns out, even sages get it wrong sometimes.

In the course of his interview with Wendy Mesley, Gladwell brought up the interesting concept of moral licensing. He explained it this way.

"Moral licensing is a notion that says when people do something generous or open minded or kind, they then give themselves license to do the opposite. Having taken the extraordinary step of electing a black man as president of the United States, Americans feel free to indulge every dark impulse inside their heart. Why? Because they think they've proven to the world just how open minded they are. Look, we're the ones who elected a black man to the White House  so now they feel free to say and do the most unspeakable things towards a woman ( Hilary Clinton). I think there is something to that theory in the election campaign."

Really!

On a personal level, does moral licensing mean I can insult my wife after I help a neighbor rake his leaves?  Hardly.

Does moral licensing give me the right to curse at the driver who cut me off right after I let another into my lane? Nope.

Does moral licensing say that doing a good deed unleashes the urge to do something sinister? I don't think so.

Does my faith tell me that serving my neighbor allows me to serve myself later? No, it doesn't.

And yet...methinks there is some truth to the concept of moral licensing.

After all, I do make a bowl of popcorn a few hours after most bean taco meals...my reward for going vegetarian for the day.

I often complain much later about the person who held up the checkout line or who took that parking space right from under my nose.

And I sometimes feel that being a good  Boy Scout in the morning gives me the license to be the Marlboro man at night.

But upon further reflection, I realize that if that initial act of kindness comes from a genuine place, a place of compassion and humility, there won't be a need to visit the dark side later a la Stephen King.

Moral licenssing…psychological researh…when people do something  generous, open minded or kind, they then give themselcves license to do gthe opposite, Having taken the extradaniry step of elecitng a black man tas president , amereican feel free to indulge every dark impulse inside their heart. Why because they think they’ve jproven to the world just how open minded they are Look were the ones who elcted a balck man to the white house so now they feel free to say and do the most unspeakable things towards a woman,

If trump wins, he’ll  be  in jail within  a year because he has so many legal problems

A generous and liberal act opens the door to a kind of backlash and allows people to indulge tjhier darker selves.