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Lessons from a French Sex Scandal

The psychologist Christopher Ryan says sex scandals ought to be treated as a private matter, and that would represent a “more realistic understanding of human nature.”

We should not be surprised by sex scandals, says the author and psychologist Christopher Ryan, the same way that we should not be surprised when it rains. 


Ducking specific questions, French President Francois Hollande recently told the media that he and his wife were going through “painful moments.” And so the appropriate response, Ryan told Big Think, should be one of sadness – sadness that a man and a woman “didn’t feel empowered enough to talk about these things before they got themselves in this situation.” There should be no cause for outrage, in Ryan’s view. 

And so if Hollande gets his wish, and this situation is treated as a private matter, Ryan believes this would represent a “more realistic understanding of human nature,” and we will be able to avoid more “needless suffering.”

Image courtesy of Shutterstock


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