In the podcast “The Lady Vanishes”, Malcolm Gladwell shares with us the concept of Moral Licensing. The concept originated at the London Business School, based on research conducted by Dr. Daniel Effron, a social psychologist.
The premise, though simple, is profound. “Past good deeds can liberate individuals to engage in behaviors that are, immoral, unethical and otherwise problematic. The belief is that when we do good, we give our selves permission to do something bad”.
Does the fact America voted in a black President, now give us a right to indulge in racist behavior? Does the fact we treated one woman with respect, now allow us to be sexist and insult other? Does the fact that the Augusta National Golf Club permitted Condoleezza Rice to be one of their first token female members, now allow them to consciously exclude all other women from membership?
Sporadic changes in behavior, rarely bring about real change. Real change stems from actions that are driven by changes in our hearts, and in our heads – not those that are designed to gain favor in the court of public opinion.
About Hemant Rustogi