2 docs tagged with "ethics"

The Just-World Hypothesis is a cognitive bias where individuals believe that actions always have morally predictable consequences—that "good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people." Formalized by Melvin Lerner in the 1960s, this mental model explains the psychological root of victim-blaming, the "hustle culture" myth of pure meritocracy, and our deep resistance to accepting the role of luck in success. Understanding the Just-World Hypothesis allows decision-makers to build fairer organizational systems and more accurately diagnose the systemic causes of failure.

Moral Licensing is a cognitive bias where performing a "good" deed makes people more likely to subsequently engage in "bad" or unethical behavior without feeling guilty. Identified by Monin and Miller in 2001, this mental model explains why "green" consumers sometimes steal, why ethical companies can fall into corruption, and why progressive leaders are occasionally caught in scandals. By understanding the "moral bank account" in our heads, we can implement systems that encourage consistent integrity rather than sporadic virtue that "buys" the right to transgress.