March 3, 2019
Moral Tension. For a few years I’ve been asking myself, “Why do people have immoral desires?” (Immoral desires are cravings to do things forbidden by society.) I only have a little education in behavioral science and sociology, but my observations have led me to ideas that no one else seems to be thinking about. I believe these ideas need to be studied.
All human societies develop complex moral norms. These norms can be formalized in governmental laws and religious doctrines, or remain informal as simple expectations of the majority. Many of these rules have obvious benefits to human society, such as prohibitions against murder, stealing, assault, battery, multiple sex partners, etc. These destructive behaviors increase suffering, spread diseases, cause conflict, etc. They can lead to cultural breakdown and dysfunctions that weaken and destroy societies.
Consider a moral functionality scale where, at one extreme, society lacks sufficient controls on destructive human behavior, while at the opposite extreme a society can become dysfunctional from too many strict moral rules. Extreme intolerance becomes oppressive, damaging the psychological health of its people and making them culturally self-destructive. (Historical events like the Salem witch trials, the Great Purge of Joseph Stalin, the Cambodian killing fields, the Chinese cultural revolution, and Nazi genocide come to mind here.)
Human DNA seems to drive us naturally to functional zones on this spectrum. We instinctively develop behavioral norms and a large proportion of people naturally pressure others to conform to those norms. But there are always non-conformists. No matter how strong the pressure is to conform, there are always people who seem hardwired by their DNA to push back against that pressure. Both personality traits are necessary for humans to succeed on this planet. I believe our DNA holds the programming to balance conformist and non-conformists with a complex variation of behaviors that drives us to functional zones in our cultural norms.
Functional societies always have an element of tension related to what’s morally acceptable. We aren’t failing culturally unless that tension erupts into hostility. The presence of competing viewpoints signals a healthy society if we can disagree respectfully and remain united behind common core values.
Altruism. When you get into the details of how these trends play out, there are many complex variations and interactions. One of those complexities is the role of altruism, and immoral desires seem to influence our altruistic choices. The opposite of altruism, selfishness, also plays a role, but right now I’m focused primarily on the role of altruism and how morality shapes altruism.
Altruistic people often embrace cultural moral norms with an idealistic zeal that makes them see an immoral, sinful nature in themselves. Forbidden desires battle within them, pulling them to violate moral expectations, clashing with their idealism to do what’s right. With a blend of humility and self-esteem, this internal struggle can lead to emotional strength and willingness to sacrifice for the good of others. Selfishness and shame can destroy a person caught in the same struggle. They might spiral down into depression, seek solace in shallow pleasures, get caught in addictions, or obsess with vain pursuits. If they suffer from excessive pride, they may become bullies, manipulating or oppressing others instead of serving them.
In this struggle between personal desires and pressure to live by the moral expectations of a society, most people find a reasonable balance where they satisfy their own needs while contributing reasonably to the good of others. Some people succumb to pressure and turn to destructive behaviors, but a few rise above the norm, and find satisfaction in serving the greater good of others sacrificially.
Going back to my original question, “Why do people have immoral desires?” I believe the struggle between our forbidden desires and social expectations makes most of us stronger and more willing to serve others.
Altruistic Super-Heroes. I believe extreme cases in this tension often produce exceptional heroes in society. We’ve seen this in individuals on the LGBTQ spectrum. I’ve read about sacrificial service of homosexuals in the military when homosexuality was forbidden. I believe pedophiles and others who struggle with desires considered perverse by most members of society often develop personal strengths, enabling them to take great risk for the welfare of others.
Apparently human DNA programs everyone with forbidden sexual desires and we all develop stronger character in resisting those desires, but some endure more severe struggles. I suspect that these individuals who are programed by their DNA with extreme social taboos devote themselves to sacrificial service (priests, doctors, soldiers, teachers, etc.) at higher rates than the national average. Some choose to take extreme risks and make extreme sacrifices for the greater good—probably at much higher rates than average people do.
By normalizing these behaviors and enabling people to pursue satisfaction without shame, we ease their struggles but produce fewer heroes in society. When we change societal norms to embrace sexual practices between consenting adults that most societies shun, we reduce the sense of extreme perversion for practices that should not be tolerated like pedophilia, slavery, rape, etc. People who may have been altruistic heroes in a less tolerant society now have a sense of entitlement that they should experience satisfaction of their desires too.
This is all speculative hypothesis that I can’t support with conclusive evidence, but I’ve seen enough indicators that I feel these ideas should be explored rigorously in the social and psychological sciences. I’d like to see scientific studies that:
Quantify the degree that resisting immoral desires strengthens or weakens character traits
Examine how certain immoral desires influence rates of altruistic choices
Reveal mechanisms that influence how moral struggles can lead to different outcomes such as shame, depression, bullying, or altruism. (Mechanisms in personal beliefs, home environment, education, etc.)