Human beings have infinite
ways of deluding themselves. ‘Just-world bias’ is just one of them. It is the
belief that we live in a just world which rewards us for our good deeds and
punishes for the evil ones. In other words, we believe that there is a moral order
in the world or the universe by which our actions merit just consequences. You
get what you deserve. What you reap is what you sowed. What goes around comes
around. Karma. Most religions believe in the just-world concept in one form or
another. In religions, a god or some divine entity controls this system. Many
people who are not religious believe in a universal force that maintains this
moral balance.
The naked truth is that there
is no such force or divine entity dishing out justice to us from somewhere out
there. The death of an innocent child due to a pandemic alone should be enough
to make us realise that the heavens are not a bit as fair as we would wish them
to be. We can choose to hoodwink ourselves with beliefs such as punishment for
the sins of one’s previous birth. The child is paying for the sins of its
previous birth. Dharma is religiously vindictive. Or you may believe that the
child is paying for the sins of its parents. “If the fathers eat sour grapes,
the children’s teeth are set on edge,” says the Bible.
When the coronavirus started
killing thousands of people, many religious leaders ascribed it to God’s way of
punishing us for our sins of commission and omission. “Thank God for the
coronavirus” was the title of a sermon preached by Omar Ricci at the Islamic Centre
of Southern California when the pandemic had started extracting its toll. The
coronavirus was Allah’s gift to mankind, according to this religious leader.
Many Christian and other religious preachers said the same thing in different
words: God is reminding us of our need to repent and mend our ways.
It is very convenient to have
a god sitting somewhere up there and serve as the Great Arbiter of human
actions. It gives a heavenly bliss to some people to believe that the meltdown
of the World Trade Centre was a divine retribution for the American sins.
Whether it is a natural
disaster like a pandemic or a manmade evil like a terrorist attack, the
just-world bias can justify it easily. The just-world bias is an acceptance of
evil, so to say. The psychology department of the University of Kassel,
Germany, conducted a research on the correlation between belief in just world
and dishonesty. The research showed a strong link between the belief in just
world and antisocial tendencies. It is easy to convert your wicked deeds into
holy ones if you can give your deeds a moral sanction coming from a god or
religion or something as holy as that. Were the crusaders of the Dark Ages
saints or antisocial elements in religious garbs? What about the religious
terrorists of today? What about the nationalists of present India?
You can convert your
wickedness into holiness just by convincing yourself and a significant number
of others that your act is a divine retribution for the wrongs done by any
community. The Kassel University research found strong correlation between the
just-world bias and religiousness on the one hand, and antisocial tendencies as
well as exploitation and victimisation of others, on the other. That is, those
who believe in the just-world notion tend to be religious and antisocial and
exploitative.
To sum up, the just-world bias
is a self-delusion. It gives you the comfort of thinking that the other people
deserve the calamities they are suffering. It is also an indirect way of
patting yourself on the back that you are better than them and that is why the
calamity did not visit you. What’s more, it makes you feel that none less than
god himself is on your side.
PS. This is powered by #BlogchatterA2Z
Read the previous parts of this series below:
A: Absurdity
D: Delusions
H: Humanism:
Celebration of Life
Tomorrow: Kafka’s Prison
This made for an interesting read. Had no idea that just-world bias is a concept on its own. Though i agree with most of the points you mentioned there
ReplyDeleteDeepika Sharma
People have more biases and delusions than truths. But they pretend otherwise.
DeleteAlso its a convenient way of absolving yourself of any responsibility or accountability - no?
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. It's facile to shift responsibility to some divine entity.
DeleteHad no idea about this just-world bias concept. but it really makes you really think about your perceptions
ReplyDeleteMy purpose is precisely to set readers thinking. Glad you said that the post achieves that.
DeleteGod loves all His children.
ReplyDeleteBut, still we all have different lives.
Bias or karma or payback...no one knows. But, like Newton's Law in Physics, all religions have this- 'every action has an equal & opposite reaction'.
Yes, Newton has his place, no doubt. But not in universe's morality.
DeleteJust World , I wonder if anything is 'just' now a days! The political scenario, the religious fanaticism, the extremities of fake propaganda and the consequences compel us to re think this very concept. I enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDeleteIt's a highly unjust world. But most people believe otherwise. Strange.
Deleteanalytical, honest and straight as always. I'm honoured to have you in my space.
ReplyDeleteIt's my delight to have you here, rather.
Delete