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Moral Licensing: Why Good People Do Bad Things

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104 views9likes9:26mindenixOriginal Release: 2026-06-27

Moral licensing is a universal psychological phenomenon where people use their good deeds as 'moral currency' to justify subsequent indulgences or unethical behavior, operating through a mental 'moral bank account' where deposits of virtuous actions can be 'withdrawn' to permit worse choices; this affects everyone, including highly ethical individuals, and can be overcome by reframing progress as identity rather than currency, using process-based self-talk over outcome-based rewards, and recognizing the word 'deserve' as a signal of licensing attempts.