What Is Morality?

For a topic as subjective as morality, people sure have strong beliefs about what's right and wrong. Yet even though morals can vary from person to person and culture to culture, many are universal, as they result from basic human emotions. We may think of moralizing as an intellectual exercise, but more frequently it's an attempt to make sense of our gut instincts.

Recent posts on Ethics and Morality

Why I Hate Star Wars

By Eric Dietrich Ph.D. on January 30, 2018 in Excellent Beauty
Star Wars succeeds because humans are primates. Our evolution was accomplished by wicked and powerful short-term magical and selfish thinking.

The Trump Effect: An Update

A year into this presidency, the Trump Effect has expanded beyond the original definition of an increase in bullying in schools. It's now a part of our governance.

Biscotti Diplomacy

By Susan Hooper on January 28, 2018 in Detours and Tangents
I lost my temper with a neighbor. I restored good relations with a face-to-face apology—and also biscotti.

#MeToo 2.0:The Movement’s Painful Next Step

By Deborah King on January 26, 2018 in Mining the Headlines
Does one-size-fit-all, and is redemption even thinkable?

The Character Gap

Most of us, at the core, are a mix of good and evil. There is a gap, a character gap, between who we are and who we should be.

A Secret Affair: Who Cheats and Why?

By Noam Shpancer Ph.D. on January 25, 2018 in Insight Therapy
Affairs are as costly and widely condemned as they are common.

Why Entitled People Will Disregard Rules That Others Follow

By Douglas LaBier Ph.D. on January 24, 2018 in The New Resilience
People who think of themselves as entitled often refuse to follow rules of conduct that others accept. The source is an overlooked feature of narcissism.

Tell That to My Face!

Online communication often takes place by people with hidden identities. This is a formula for nastiness in human interactions. And it is only getting worse.

Community Responses to Consent Violations

This second blog in a series about consent violations in consensually non-monogamous relationships examines community responses to infractions against community members.
skeez/CC0 - Creative Commons/Free for Commercial Use

A Surprising Cause of Prejudice

The real problem might be how we relate to people like us. By Ron B. Aviram, Ph.D.
rvlsoft/Shutterstock

Looking Ahead to the Olympic Games

By Alex Pattakos Ph.D. on January 21, 2018 in The Meaningful Life
The Olympics are where the spirit of nationalism, meaningful collaboration, and healthy competition meet.
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Big Little Lies

By Stephen Gray Wallace on January 17, 2018 in Decisions Teens Make
Despite uniformity among children, teens, and adults about the importance of honesty, it often seems in short supply.

Millennials Can't Afford to Not Be Political Anymore

By Mariana Plata on January 17, 2018 in The Gen Y Psy
Are you tired of your government? An active change is necessary and newer generations hold the key to making this happen.

Swedish Zoo "Zoothanizes" Nine Healthy, "Useless" Lion Cubs

By Marc Bekoff Ph.D. on January 16, 2018 in Animal Emotions
An email asking, "Do zoos really kill healthy animals?" didn't surprise me at all. Many zoos routinely kill healthy "surplus" animals as business as usual but it's not euthanasia.

Homer Simpson as Parent

Humor is very often a sneaky way to engage with cultural and moral issues that would meet with resistance if they were discussed in a more serious way.

#MeToo—Changing Brains, Relationships and Power Dynamics

By Amy Banks on January 15, 2018 in Wired For Love
Neuroscience has something to add to the #MeToo movement.

Inspiration Point

Sternberg wrote: "My entire future trajectory changed, as a result of just one teacher."

MLK: Expanding Compassion to All Brothers and Sisters

 “I am moved to break the betrayal of my own silences and to speak from the burnings of my own heart.”

Solitary Confinement: Torture, Pure and Simple

Placing individuals in solitary confinement is both inhumane and unethical.

Self and Will

By Joachim I Krueger Ph.D. on January 13, 2018 in One Among Many
In Joseph in Egypt, Thomas Mann describes a splendid but flawed character. Or is he just human?
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Up with the Wealth Gap!

The tax cut locked in a 21.5% increase in the value of U.S. stocks, the majority of which are owned by the wealthiest 2% of U.S. households. Do Americans get it?

For Richer or Poorer: Kids Version

What is the status of the American dream in the minds of children? Do they have a sense of their place on the economic ladder? Do they see the rungs as easy or hard to climb?

Individual Differences

People come in all shapes and sizes, physically and psychologically. Here are nine of the core personality dimensions on which we vary from each other.

Stand Strong in Your Beliefs

If you seek authenticity and want to bring alignment to your beliefs and your actions, some of these ideas might work for you.
Source:  blog eshet

How Can a Modern Woman Integrate Religion Into Her Life?

How one Israeli, Orthodox woman lives a modern life.

The Naked and the Nude

By Robert J Landy Ph.D. on January 11, 2018 in Couch and Stage
A lecturer shows a slide at a conference, a self-portrait as DaVinci's Vitruvian Man, with the genitals removed. He discusses the implications of revealing and concealing the self.

What Would It Take?

By David P. Barash Ph.D. on January 11, 2018 in Peace and War
Could we have another early 1980s-style, grassroots movement today? It’s not impossible.

Good Manners in Evolutionary Perspective

By Nigel Barber Ph.D. on January 09, 2018 in The Human Beast
Why have the habits of the Upstairs Downstairs world departed? What are they for? Have they always existed?

A New Way to Understand Procrastination

You may think you’ll never get over your tendency to put off the tasks you’d rather not complete, or even the ones you’d like to start, but new research suggests how to try.

How and Why to Diagnose Psychopathic Narcissism

By Stephen A. Diamond Ph.D. on January 08, 2018 in Evil Deeds
When are mental disorders defined and diagnosed by the suffering inflicted on others?