The Myth of the Good Man
Why Self-Interest, Not Morality, Governs Most Human Behavior
What actually governs men in society? Not the moments of revolution or political upheaval, but the thousands of ordinary moments within each person’s life. Consider the choice to stand on principles and risk ostracism, or conform with the crowd. Or consider the choice to rigorously enforce morality from real, examined principles, or allow the crowd to sway your morality to fit their unexamined version of being “good.” The thing that governs men at their core is not their own principles but their own self-interest, wrapped up in moral language so they still may perceive themselves as good, and rationalizations on how they may violate their own principles when it benefits them.1
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