Do you suffer from illusions of moral superiority

Do you suffer from illusions of moralische verfassung superiorityDo you suffer from illusions of moral superiorityMorality is like the temple on the hill of human nature. It is ur most sacred attribute. - JonathanHaidtMost of us believe we are better than average. When it comes to driving style, smarts, and modesty, theoptimism biasmakes us think we are better than the rest.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSelf-enhancement is more acute in the moral space - we believe we are more principled than others. Our sense of moral superiority is so distorted that even jailed criminals think they are kinder, more trustworthy and honestthan you and me.I love this because it helps us understand why we are living in adivided era.We dont merely overestimate ur own moral virtue- we underestimate the moral virtue of thosewho are elend like us.Why We Feel MorallySuperiorThe books that the worl d calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. ? Oscar WildeA studyby Ben Tappin and Ryan McKay notlage only confirms that most of us judge urselves as better than average - it addresses how much of this illusion isjustifiedor not.Its hard to appraise someone we dont know. Thats why people assign average values to others and extreme values to themselves when asked to assess our morality.According to the researchers, moral superiority is a uniquely strong and prevalent fasson of illusion - it makes you feel superior to another person or group.Theres some rationality involved though. We have much more information to assess ourselves than people we dont really know - it makes sense to be more cautious when evaluating others. Our self-defense mechanism gets in the way too. From a survival perspective, its safer to assume someone is less trustworthy than we are.Theillusion superioritycan protect ourselves from liars or scammers - moral skepticism may reduce our chance o f being double-crossed. However, there are some negative consequences too.Self-righteousnessmakes you focus on yourself rather than on trying to understand others. It reduces our willingness to cooperate or compromise - it creates a wall between us and them.People who value their morality highly cut corners but then frame the situation to feel good about themselves.Self-serving justifications, when we intentionally violate an ethical rule, mitigate the threat to our moral self - we do wrong while feeling moral. Consider a man who invites his dad to a fancy restaurant to show him hes doing well. He justifies expensing the dinner because his father always gives him sound business advice.The laziness of presumed moral superiority can be fatal in politics, business, or religion - it leads to intolerance and violence. As Tappin and McKay wrote, when opposing sides are convinced of their own righteousness, escalation of violence is more probable.Morally Superior but Behaviorally Inferi orOur actions and positions are justified by having higher moral values than others. The illusion of superiority creates divisions - those who dont belong to our group are deemed inferior.Catholics and Protestants fought a deadly war in Northern Ireland. Jews and Christians are targeted in many countries. Shias kill Sunnis in Iraq rather than try to resolve their differences.The paradox is that both sides end seeing the other as inferior. Most people consider themselves paragons of virtue, yet few individuals perceive this abundance in others.Moral superiority may reflect significant incoherence in social judgment and perception, as Tappins explains. To illustrate this, he shares the example ofJanewho construes her morality in very positive terms - in part by capitalizing onmoral ambiguity. In contrast, her assessment of others is less positive. Her double standard works for herself, but not for others.Our moral illusion blinds us - we believe we are always right and those who di sagree with us arewrong.Not everything is black or white though. Ive been attacked here on Medium for quoting people others considered inadequate. When we continually filter everything and everyone through our moral lens, no one will ever pass the test.We should learn to separate the act from the person. Everyones a teacher in disguise - we can learn from anyone, even those we consider our enemies.The Moral BlindfoldOur deep-rooted beliefs can often translate to blame and myopia.We self-identified with our moral views - changing our mind or admitting we are wrong feels like giving up our identity. Its easier to attack others who think differently than to consider their point valid.Belonging to a group is a crucial human motivation. We band together with people that share our saatkorn perspectives and moral views. We are more willing to follow advice from someone thats like us. Likewise, when we run into someone new, we tend to categorize that person into friend or foe. Unconscious ly, we try to assess if we should trust or fight that individual.Our moral lens is like a blindfold - we judge people without seeing who they indeed are.Groups distort our sense of moral superiority and moral tribalism. How can you move a country forward when both parties are attacking each other? Rather than building on each others best ideas, they only care about theirs. The same happens with religion - churches are more preoccupied about beliefs and evangelium than to help people. Salvation doesnt matter unless you choosetheirway.AsDr. Steve McSwainwrotehere,The fighting must end. And, this statement isnt directed just to Islamic fundamentalists but to Christian fundamentalists, too. The former use weapons to destroy people who dont agree with them. The latter use a little belief system they call the Rapture against those who dont agree with them.Any form of extremism is wrong - we end caring more about our moral superiority than the outcome. This polarizing view blinds everyo ne. The paradox is that the belief that we are better than others, makes us arrogant, stubborn, and narrow-minded - we becomeintellectually overconfident.We walk around all the time with a feeling that our group is morally superior to the other group, says social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. We hate them. Its important that we constantly show how much better our side is.The Power of Intellectual HonestyTo seek the truth we must observe things as they are, instead of filtering them byour position.As Perry Tam wrotehere, What is intellectual honesty? It means always seeking the truth regardless of whether or not it agrees with your own personal beliefs.Intellectual honesty is about finding the best solution, not to win the discussion.Moral superiority promotes groupthink - we only pay attention to those who think as we do. Diversity of thinking is vital to help groups find the best solutions. However, even in the most objective organizations, leaders use their moral superiority to s ilence their subordinates.Start by leveling the playing field. That requires creating aFearless Culture where people canFeel safe to speak upExpress alternative points of viewChallenge the status-quo or their bossesAcknowledge their mistakes without fearing punishmentThat requires leaders to embrace vulnerability. In my experience, thats easier said than done. It takes time to coach senior executives to let go of power and the need to be always right. As Tam explains, decisions should be grounded by facts, not by the stature or position of the individual within the company presenting it.Intellectual humble adults are more likely to learn from people they disagree with. We need to move beyond the right or wrong by integrating opposite ideas rather than excluding them.From Opposition to IntegrationCreativity feeds from abundance, not from exclusion.Improv Comedy practices the Yes, And approach. It teaches people to continually build on top of new ideas, not to replace or fight, old ones. Improvisation is about integration - ideas are stepping stones, not alternative paths.A Yes, And mindset turns everyone into a contributor. As Kelly Leonard,Second City executive, says Everyone in the ensemble produces hundreds of ideas, so even though most of (the ideas) will die and never be seen again, people dont hold on out of fear that theyll have nothing to offer at the end.Integration is about building on each others ideas - we unearth the potential of every thought instead of judging the person who suggested it.When were more engaged and listening to the other side, the disagreements tend to be more constructive, says Tenelle Porter, a researcher in psychology at the University of California.In his bookDream Teams, journalist Shane Snow explains that, though great teams are more than the sum of their parts, (lack of) collaboration often fails to fulfill this promise.He advocates for three ways to integrate opposite thinkingCognitive DiversityOne of the reasons div ersity fails is that we focus on the demographics, not on the way of thinking.Rather than looking for people who are a cultural fit, we should hire those whopromote cultural fitness - they should challenge the team to grow beyond its comfort zone.Cognitive FrictionWe often see conflict as divisive - tensions can help if we put moral superiority aside. Healthy frictions canbring the best out of a team. Snow shares how the Wright Brothers daily arguments can teach us about group problem-solving.Intellectual humilityMost leaders operate from a position of moral superiority - they believe their opinions matter more than their teams. Wise leaders are not only humble but also embrace their vulnerability. They dont want to win all the arguments - theylead with questions, not answers.Intellectual humility involves recognizing that our beliefs or opinions can be incorrect. In adivided era, anger unites people. Everyone adopts a win-at-all-costs mentality to prove others are wrong - or e vil.Mark Leary, a psychology professor from Duke University, believes that intellectual humility may be essential to protecting us from our most self-destructive tendencies. Whether you lean left or right - or somewhere in between - intellectual humility can help you discover common grounds, build better relationships, and be more effective leaders.How to Embrace Intellectual HumilityAll I know is that I know nothing. SocratesIntellectual humility requires practice. Im vulnerable to my own moral superiority. The following are not rules, but some tips I use to challenge my own views - I too fall prey to arrogance or intellectual overconfidence.Avoid judging peopleWhen we label people, we create a fictional wall between us and them - we confuse the ideas with the author. Everyone is a teacher in disguise. You can learn from anyone, even from those who have opposite perspectives.Give opposing viewpoints a chanceWhen you are engaged and listen to the other side, conversations become more constructive and productive. Practice to temporarily adopting a belief that feels wrong. See the world through that lens for one day or two. See what you can learn by seeing life from the dark side.Dont attack people because they hold different viewpointsIf everyone thought the same, the world would be boring. Art is a perfect example - all artists look at the same reality, but everyone expresses it differently.Avoid being intellectually overconfident.We all overestimate how much we know. Laszlo Bock, VP of hiring at Google, said, Without intellectual humility, you are unable to learn. The tech-giant wants people who argue like hell and be zealots about their point of view, but who will admit they are not right when a situation has changed because new facts have emerged.Respect others.Treat those who think differently with the same respect you want to be treated by them. Differences should spark conversations, not aggression. When we feel under attack, our Intellectual Humili ty suffers, according toresearch.Separate your ego from your moral viewsWhen we self-identify with our ideas, we become blind. You are not your ideas.Put your ego aside - dont take it personally if someone challenges your thinking.Be open to review your viewpointsIn an era where changing ones mind is a sign of weakness, people prefer to look right rather than finding the truth. Ideas are never final they are constantly evolving. All scientific theories have been a stepping stone for new discoveries. If we get stuck on being right, we cant make any progress.When was the brde time you changed your mind? How did it feel?This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally s trong people