Scandal is great entertainment because it allows people to feel contempt, a moral emotion that gives feelings of moral superiority while asking nothing in return. With contempt you don't need to right the wrong (as with anger) or flee the scene (as with fear or disgust). And the best of all, contempt is made to share. Stories about the moral failings of others are among the most common kinds of gossip, they are a stable of talk radio, and they offer a ready way for people to show that they share a common moral orientation.

If you have high IQ, you're really good at finding post-hoc arguments to support your feelings of truthiness.

science is a smorgasbord, and google will guide you to the study that's right for you.

Understanding the simple fact that morality differs around the world, and even within societies, is the first step toward understanding your righteous mind.

Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.

Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most literal sense, each using the myth of pure evil to demonize the other side and unite there own.

If I believe that abortion is wrong, and I want to convince you that it's wrong, there's no reason I should recount to you my personal narrative of how I came to believe this.