Shut Your Eyes To Be More Ethical
Closing our eyes allows us to simulate a decision more extensively and seems to make us more sensitive to the ethical nature of our own and others’ decisions.
The simple act of closing our eyes has a significant effect on our moral judgement and behavior. “Although scholars from different fields have provided important insights in understanding why people commonly cross ethical boundaries, little research has examined potential solutions that are easily implementable,” researchers said. “Here we identified a simple strategy: closing one’s eyes, people are likely to simulate the decision they are facing more extensively and experience its emotional components more vividly. As a result … people may be more sensitive to the ethical nature of their own and others’ decisions, and perhaps behave more honestly as a result.”
