21 Dec 2013
Moral license, or moral self-licensing, is human tendency where increases in confidence and security about one’s self-image or self-concept tend to make individuals worry less about the consequences of subsequent immoral behavior. or put more simply, "the feeling of having a right to do something bad after doing some good".
For example, the Brahma Kumari leaders believe they are "doing good" serving their God and making all sorts of holy sacrifices ... therefore that gives them the right to, e.g. break immigration, taxation and other worldly laws; encouraging their followers to steal from their work places; or even knowingly exploit and manipulating others with cover ups, false beliefs and predictions, as we have discussed before.
Paradoxically, numerous scientific studies have found that "ethical behaviour" provides a license, an excuse, for laxer morality. For example, people who establish their identity as a non-prejudiced (we would say soul conscious or spiritual person in BK terms) then go on to discriminate in favour of someone from one ethnic minority or another, and are more likely to make prejudiced choices later.
Much of Brahma Kumaris is "priming oneself to think how special and important one is (without any evidence, or even with evidence of the opposite)".
Sachdeva has two explanations why.
Firstly, many selfless actions become routine with time. As this happens, the effort involved lessens, the "costs" seem smaller, and the potential for moral licensing fades. Secondly, individuals who satisfy their moral goals award themselves with a license to disengage more easily.
This would explain why the longer a BK indulges in their religion, and the higher up the ranks they climb ... the more likely to carry out a greater bad or wrong ... according to society's and their own value system ... they are. As I type, I am specifically thinking of high ranking BKs involved with their finances.
Reference: Sachdeva, S., Iliev, R., & Medin, D. (2009). From: Sinning Saints and Saintly Sinners: The Paradox of Moral Self-Regulation, Psychological Science.
For example, the Brahma Kumari leaders believe they are "doing good" serving their God and making all sorts of holy sacrifices ... therefore that gives them the right to, e.g. break immigration, taxation and other worldly laws; encouraging their followers to steal from their work places; or even knowingly exploit and manipulating others with cover ups, false beliefs and predictions, as we have discussed before.
Paradoxically, numerous scientific studies have found that "ethical behaviour" provides a license, an excuse, for laxer morality. For example, people who establish their identity as a non-prejudiced (we would say soul conscious or spiritual person in BK terms) then go on to discriminate in favour of someone from one ethnic minority or another, and are more likely to make prejudiced choices later.
In three surveys, Sonya Sachdeva from Northwestern University found that people who are primed to think well of themselves behave less altruistically than those whose moral identity is threatened. They donate less to charity and they become less likely to make decisions for the good.
Much of Brahma Kumaris is "priming oneself to think how special and important one is (without any evidence, or even with evidence of the opposite)".
Sachdeva has two explanations why.
Firstly, many selfless actions become routine with time. As this happens, the effort involved lessens, the "costs" seem smaller, and the potential for moral licensing fades. Secondly, individuals who satisfy their moral goals award themselves with a license to disengage more easily.
This would explain why the longer a BK indulges in their religion, and the higher up the ranks they climb ... the more likely to carry out a greater bad or wrong ... according to society's and their own value system ... they are. As I type, I am specifically thinking of high ranking BKs involved with their finances.
Reference: Sachdeva, S., Iliev, R., & Medin, D. (2009). From: Sinning Saints and Saintly Sinners: The Paradox of Moral Self-Regulation, Psychological Science.