Saturday, May 21, 2016

Unethical Amnesia

A new study (and here) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that when we act unethically, we’re more likely to remember these actions less clearly. They call it "unethical amnesia" and it may help explain how people can act unethically without being racked by guilt.  In essence, such people forget they acted unethically.

One of the things that amazed me during my divorce was the sheer amount of unethical and criminal actions committed by so many people. From Spring committing perjury, to Nelly Wince's fraudulent actions, to Rachel Corinth's attempt to use my kids to steal money, to corruption at the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, unscrupulous actions abounded.  Unethical amnesia is a concept that makes sense. I would guess it applies to anyone who does bad things. People do not think they are bad; they suppress it through a combination of rationalization and ethical amnesia.

But of course there are people that do act ethically. People who care about others. People whose actions are driven by their conscious. It is sad that our family law system so often rewards those who act unethically and punishes those who do not.

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