The Illusion of Moral Decline

[Flash]

Politics is wrapped in the narrative that we are suffering through a moral decline. Turns out, that is NOT true, so quit fretting.

Nature.com published a study a few weeks back that not only disputed the narrative of a moral decline but also offered up the factors that push people to believe it:

Biased Exposure: People are predominantly exposed to the bad stories of others (if it bleeds it leads)

Biased Memory: Bad things fade faster than good things leaving a more favorable view of the past.

Those two biases fool people into thinking everyone else is suffering and that they used to live in an easier time and there it is… things must be worse. Guess what? All evidence to the contrary and it is seen in many contemporary countries.

The illusion of moral decline - Nature

We show that the perception of moral decline is pervasive, perdurable, unfounded and easily produced, and suggest that this illusion has implications for research on the misallocation of scarce resources, the underuse of social support and social influence.

www.nature.com

Anecdotal evidence indicates that people believe that morality is declining1,2. In a series of studies using both archival and original data (n = 12,492,983), we show that people in at least 60 nations around the world believe that morality is declining, that they have believed this for at least 70 years and that they attribute this decline both to the decreasing morality of individuals as they age and to the decreasing morality of successive generations. Next, we show that people’s reports of the morality of their contemporaries have not declined over time, suggesting that the perception of moral decline is an illusion. Finally, we show how a simple mechanism based on two well-established psychological phenomena (biased exposure to information and biased memory for information) can produce an illusion of moral decline, and we report studies that confirm two of its predictions about the circumstances under which the perception of moral decline is attenuated, eliminated or reversed (that is, when respondents are asked about the morality of people they know well or people who lived before the respondent was born). Together, our studies show that the perception of moral decline is pervasive, perdurable, unfounded and easily produced. This illusion has implications for research on the misallocation of scarce resources3, the underuse of social support4 and social influence5.

We are all suffering from the Leftest turds turning this once great country into a shithole. You idiotic Moon Bats are suffering too but you are too stupid to know it.

 

[Andylusion]

There is no point staying in a marriage that doesn't work out for whatever reason. Most people try to make it work but if it doesn't, divorce is no big deal.

That’s not the question in this discussion thread. The question is, is it moral decline? And it absolutely is. If you stand and promise “Until death do us part”, and you instead just decide “Oh well, it’s not working how I want, so I’m breaking my promise”
That is in fact moral decline.
And contrary to your claims, it is a big deal. Divorce is devastating for the children, even if they are adults. Higher rates of depression, drug use, suicide, crime, lower educational results, failure in their career, higher levels of poverty and addiction.
Yes it is a big deal. It is a massive deal. And it most certainly is moral decline. This self-centered narcissistic generation of spoiled brats in adults bodies, are ruining this nation.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Well this is stupid, total waste of internet space

 

[Arlette]

That’s not the question in this discussion thread. The question is, is it moral decline? And it absolutely is. If you stand and promise “Until death do us part”, and you instead just decide “Oh well, it’s not working how I want, so I’m breaking my promise”
That is in fact moral decline.
And contrary to your claims, it is a big deal. Divorce is devastating for the children, even if they are adults. Higher rates of depression, drug use, suicide, crime, lower educational results, failure in their career, higher levels of poverty and addiction.
Yes it is a big deal. It is a massive deal. And it most certainly is moral decline. This self-centered narcissistic generation of spoiled brats in adults bodies, are ruining this nation.

It's a personal choice. Nobody is forced to divorce. Or stay married. I don't think that divorce has anything to do with morality.

 

[sparky]

There were 62 lynchings in 1915 and we have 3.5Xs more people now. Morals.

There was no gay sex in Congress in 1915, now there is Gator

perhaps a better metric?

~S~

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Any study about morality would be obviously worthless.
Moral is subjective, so whoever conducts the "study" could fashion the outcome anyway they want it.
And most of the time people refer to morals, but then talk about what is actually ethics.
Morality is what your principles are.
Ethics is your actions, how you conduct yourself.

 

[citygator]

That doesn’t mean anything. If your husband is beating you, we support divorce.
That isn’t the majority of divorces, or even a significant portion. The largest group of divorces are people who say “I just don’t love him any more” or “We’re not compatible.”
That is a moral decline problem. Period.
And even THAT is not the majority of single mothers. Most single mothers are just immoral hoes that run around screwing a hundred men, popping out kids without fathers.
That’s a moral decline problem. Not a problem of wife beating.

link?

 

[citygator]

Any study about morality would be obviously worthless.
Moral is subjective, so whoever conducts the "study" could fashion the outcome anyway they want it.
And most of the time people refer to morals, but then talk about what is actually ethics.
Morality is what your principles are.
Ethics is your actions, how you conduct yourself.

The study was on the 'perception' of morality and it was thorough. So I wouldnt call it worthless since it demonstrated scientifically what we all have noticed: every generation thinks the one before it is worse even though the metrics suggest things are getting better.

 

[citygator]

We are all suffering from the Leftest turds turning this once great country into a shithole. You idiotic Moon Bats are suffering too but you are too stupid to know it.

 

[citygator]

That’s not the question in this discussion thread. The question is, is it moral decline? And it absolutely is. If you stand and promise “Until death do us part”, and you instead just decide “Oh well, it’s not working how I want, so I’m breaking my promise”
That is in fact moral decline.
And contrary to your claims, it is a big deal. Divorce is devastating for the children, even if they are adults. Higher rates of depression, drug use, suicide, crime, lower educational results, failure in their career, higher levels of poverty and addiction.
Yes it is a big deal. It is a massive deal. And it most certainly is moral decline. This self-centered narcissistic generation of spoiled brats in adults bodies, are ruining this nation.

Allowing women to escape abuse, physical or mental, is moral progress.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Well this is stupid, total waste of internet space

yes, your post was that for sure

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Can I interest you in a video of a Government Staffer having gay sex in a Senate Hearing chamber at the Capitol?

Congress Is a Bi-Den

 

[initforme]

Morality cannot be legislated. It must come from the citizenry not the fake leaders.

 

[Lesh]

In the SENATE HEARING ROOM...ON CAMERA... THAT WAS RELEASED TO THE WORLD!!!

You can't even prove that Kennedy did anything...because to be found out as a philanderer would be the end of his political career.

Thanks for proving my point that we are in moral decline.

Appreciate it.

Are you serious?

 

[Missourian]

Are you serious?

Present your proof.

I'll wait.

 

[ScorpioRising007]

Politics is wrapped in the narrative that we are suffering through a moral decline. Turns out, that is NOT true, so quit fretting.

Nature.com published a study a few weeks back that not only disputed the narrative of a moral decline but also offered up the factors that push people to believe it:

Biased Exposure: People are predominantly exposed to the bad stories of others (if it bleeds it leads)

Biased Memory: Bad things fade faster than good things leaving a more favorable view of the past.

Those two biases fool people into thinking everyone else is suffering and that they used to live in an easier time and there it is… things must be worse. Guess what? All evidence to the contrary and it is seen in many contemporary countries.

The illusion of moral decline - Nature

We show that the perception of moral decline is pervasive, perdurable, unfounded and easily produced, and suggest that this illusion has implications for research on the misallocation of scarce resources, the underuse of social support and social influence.

www.nature.com

Anecdotal evidence indicates that people believe that morality is declining1,2. In a series of studies using both archival and original data (n = 12,492,983), we show that people in at least 60 nations around the world believe that morality is declining, that they have believed this for at least 70 years and that they attribute this decline both to the decreasing morality of individuals as they age and to the decreasing morality of successive generations. Next, we show that people’s reports of the morality of their contemporaries have not declined over time, suggesting that the perception of moral decline is an illusion. Finally, we show how a simple mechanism based on two well-established psychological phenomena (biased exposure to information and biased memory for information) can produce an illusion of moral decline, and we report studies that confirm two of its predictions about the circumstances under which the perception of moral decline is attenuated, eliminated or reversed (that is, when respondents are asked about the morality of people they know well or people who lived before the respondent was born). Together, our studies show that the perception of moral decline is pervasive, perdurable, unfounded and easily produced. This illusion has implications for research on the misallocation of scarce resources3, the underuse of social support4 and social influence5.

Republicans blame moral decline on Democrats, but I know so many Democrats such as myself who go to church on Sundays. I know so many Catholics & Protestants who are Democrats. I know Atheists with good morals who are Democrats. Jews with good morals who are Democrats. Muslims with very good morals who are Democrats. Buddhists... I can go on....an on...and on

 

[beagle9]

That SOB is completely full of shit. Where to start.

Discipline being taken out of schools in the late 60s. Followed by threatening parents if they busted their kids ass.
That has led directly to teachers being attacked by students. When I was in school no one would consider such a thing.
Kids fighting in the school house.
Kids killing other kids. That's what happens when there are no consequences.
The jail house culture in inner cities and minority communities have fostered a devaluation of human life.
LBJs destruction of the nuclear family has increased criminality, which also lends to the devaluation of human life.
Roe v. Wade, ditto.
Now you've got teachers telling their charges that they can play God and chose their gender themselves.
Porn in the class room.
Children be taken to heretofore adult entertainment events. And being told it's normal.
Children being told they are an oppressor, simply based on the color of their skin.

I could go on for pages but if you don't catch my drift by now you're illiterate.

.

Absolutely, but talking to the deniers or actual leaders of the bull shite is fruitless. Good job though.

 

[Mac-7]

Politics is wrapped in the narrative that we are suffering through a moral decline. Turns out, that is NOT true, so quit fretting.

Nature.com published a study a few weeks back that not only disputed the narrative of a moral decline but also offered up the factors that push people to believe it:

Biased Exposure: People are predominantly exposed to the bad stories of others (if it bleeds it leads)

Biased Memory: Bad things fade faster than good things leaving a more favorable view of the past.

Those two biases fool people into thinking everyone else is suffering and that they used to live in an easier time and there it is… things must be worse. Guess what? All evidence to the contrary and it is seen in many contemporary countries.

The illusion of moral decline - Nature

We show that the perception of moral decline is pervasive, perdurable, unfounded and easily produced, and suggest that this illusion has implications for research on the misallocation of scarce resources, the underuse of social support and social influence.

www.nature.com

Anecdotal evidence indicates that people believe that morality is declining1,2. In a series of studies using both archival and original data (n = 12,492,983), we show that people in at least 60 nations around the world believe that morality is declining, that they have believed this for at least 70 years and that they attribute this decline both to the decreasing morality of individuals as they age and to the decreasing morality of successive generations. Next, we show that people’s reports of the morality of their contemporaries have not declined over time, suggesting that the perception of moral decline is an illusion. Finally, we show how a simple mechanism based on two well-established psychological phenomena (biased exposure to information and biased memory for information) can produce an illusion of moral decline, and we report studies that confirm two of its predictions about the circumstances under which the perception of moral decline is attenuated, eliminated or reversed (that is, when respondents are asked about the morality of people they know well or people who lived before the respondent was born). Together, our studies show that the perception of moral decline is pervasive, perdurable, unfounded and easily produced. This illusion has implications for research on the misallocation of scarce resources3, the underuse of social support4 and social influence5.

Nature.com is full of shit

They can keep their lib tea leaves and stop trying to tell us not to believe our lying eyes

 

[Oddball]

Nature.com is full of shit

They can keep their lib tea leaves and stop trying to tell us not to believe our lying eyes

As I mentioned earlier, these are the same freaks who see nothing wrong with giving minor children sex hormones and mutilating their genitalia....It's "gender affirming".

But the moral decline is an illusion.

 

[beagle9]

It's a personal choice. Nobody is forced to divorce. Or stay married. I don't think that divorce has anything to do with morality.

It takes sin to destroy a marriage, and that is moral decline and decay .... You can't win the argument, so just give it up.