“Compassion is the basis of morality.” –Arthur Schopenhauer

What would morality without compassion look like? Is morality part of human nature, or are we moral by choice? Morality by choice equates to morality as an option. Veneer theory1 proposes that the choice option of morality would include a thin decorative covering of morality that is camouflage for a selfish or brutish agenda.

Let’s look at morality and veneer separately. Morality is concerned with one’s principles of right and wrong. It is about one’s standards of behaviour. It may include the core beliefs of one’s spiritual connection. These concepts become salient components of one’s professed identity.

A veneer is a decorative covering that conceals a less attractive reality. We usually equate this term as a smooth surface utilized to cover a rougher surface. Could a moral veneer be the combination of these two terms? It seems more like an oxymoron.

This oxymoron could possibly explain, to some extent, how leaders manipulate their followers through a formulated plan of moral deception. Cult leaders and authoritarian politicians are well aware that a moral approach to leadership has special powers to influence followers at a core level through their preconceived beliefs. Xenophobic followers will be easily influenced by like-minded leaders. Bias can be validated and reinforced over and over to gain power.

The Human Psyche

“Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.” –Oscar Wilde

Whether we believe Oscar Wilde’s words or not, what would be the effect of a morality immersed in deception on the human psyche? Let’s look at the concept of deception. Deception is trickery, fraud, dishonesty, lies, misinformation, and falsehood. Truth is lost and nowhere to be found! How does that feel? Where does it leave our sense of well-being?

Does this sound anything like the current everyday issue that internet scams have brought to modern living? Does this resemble any of the cult-like movements aired on the nightly news programming?

Deception, especially moral deception, appears to have a multitude of deleterious effects on the human psyche. Without truth, we are subjected to physical, mental, and emotional manipulation and harm. Being deceived leaves us in an alternative truth, which we may be totally oblivious to.

What happens to our sense of safety? How do we cope when we realize we have been deceived? Do we become more mentally fragile when we become aware that our reality is not real?

“Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.” –Frank Herbert

Truth Without the Veneer

Truth is not always pleasant, or good, or neat; however, it is always real. When we try to make something messy neat by adding a veneer, the reality is lost. A moral veneer is an attempt to avoid an uncomfortable moral truth.

Climate change deniers would be well acquainted with adding a veneer to this reality. An example includes the 31,000 science experts who opposed climate change as real, which represents 0.3 percent of the experts, but leaves out 99.7 percent of the rest of the experts who agree that climate change is real. The truth is inconvenient, as Al Gore so eloquently stated years ago. Vaccine arguments, either pro or con, are not always based on science either but, rather, on some moral veneer that denies reality.

So why do we see myriad attempts to promote a moral veneer today? Are we afraid of the truth? Is reality too threatening?

“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” –Edmund Burke

When Power Supersedes Truth

We see it every day on the news, even our managed news. Power has become the superordinate goal for many and sits in the front seat, while truth sits in the backseat and sometimes even the trunk/boot. Maybe the awareness that most of the people with power are rich or famous has orchestrated this conduct, but regardless, it seems more and more that power is the ultimate goal.

Power in and of itself does not equal manipulation and deception; however, with power, these concepts are more readily available. When truth is at stake, power may make truth expendable. Now how safe do we feel?

Truth being reality may be a threat to those who could lose power as a consequence of that truth. The moral veneer or alternative truth is misinformation and creates a place where reality can be delayed or replaced. The human psyche must adapt. How do we counter this misinformation, whether couched in alternative facts or a moral veneer?

Ethics and Morality Essential Reads

Inoculation Therapy

Misinformation is used to cast doubt on the truth. Misinformation annihilates the truth. Studies have found that people can develop resistance against misinformation by being exposed to weakened versions of it.2 This is referred to as inoculation therapy. Understanding the motives of the individual spreading misinformation is part of the solution to finding the truth. Nobody likes to feel like they’ve been misled by fallacious arguments.

Compassion, “the basis of morality,” is also a key component in finding the truth. Compassion is considered the reflective and deliberate part of our psychology that originates in the cognitive centers of the brain. Compassionate feelings, thoughts, and decisions pass through filters of consciousness, which means we can deliberate, reflect, and improve on the decisions.3 The combined approach of inoculation therapy and compassion could add up to experiencing more truth with fewer consequences.