Make sure you have about 35 minutes to spare before you begin watching the following videos:
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our own decisions?
Dan Ariely on our buggy moral code
These links were posted by a friend of mine on Facebook and I took the time to watch the videos today. I found myself very pleased with the material covered in them.
The first video introduces the idea that the decisions we make can be influenced more by external factors than our own intuitions. I've long been a believer that situations often trump personal feelings in influencing a person's actions and decisions. This video articulates that point better than I could ever hope to.
The second video talks about morals and how, once again, situational variables are the most prominent influence in how "moral" we act. I personally don't give any moral argument much attention because of exactly this. Situations and environments can coax us to forgo any moral convictions we might have, all the while convincing us that we are still in the right.
The public, in general, is quick to jump down the throats of any wrong-doer who is unlucky enough to end up in the news. The truth is that there are very few "bad" men in the world, but people can certainly lose sight of all standard "morality" in the face of powerful circumstances. Some of those circumstances stroke a person's confidence enough to coax them into manipulation. Some circumstances press at a person's patience to induce an irrational panic. There is some delusion that men who face such circumstances and resist their powerful influence are somehow heroic or noble. It could be that they are simply immune to the stimulants that others would be "corrupted" by.
Watching these videos certainly press the reset button on your preconceptions of morality and decency. I will certainly be posting more thoughts as I think deeper on the subject.
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