PSYCHOLOGY
psychology
bias
justice
ethics
Just-World Hypothesis: The Blame Game
The cognitive bias that the world is fair and people get what they deserve. Bad things happen to bad people. This leads to victim blaming.
Melvin Lerner• 5 min read
Defense Mechanism
We want to believe the world is safe. If a random person gets hit by a car, it is terrifying. So we say, "They shouldn't have been walking there." By blaming the victim, we protect our illusion that "if I am good, I will be safe."
Reality
The universe is indifferent. Bad things happen to good people. Accepting this requires courage.